Heavenly Prophecy
by FairDrea
Summary: Complete! The rise of a forgotten Empire, the arrival of a powerful Prophecy, the sting of betrayl and the burn of desire. Through such turmoil can one still find a love worth living for?
1. Default Chapter

            Hey all! I was not so happy with my first attempt at a NT fic so I decided it might be a good idea to redeem myself with something a little more in depth. And here you have it! The rating will more then likely change after this to R so those of you who are interested and start worrying when you cant find it…just select "all" in the ratings category! Also this is a bit of a mix from mostly the first two movies and I added a few touches from the new cartoon here and there. Had to have the ninja bike! I'm a sucker for those! But mostly it's based on the movies. Thank you and as always, enjoy!  

**Heavenly Prophecy**

Midnight came as dark as ever, the skies the blackest anyone had seen in a long time, the brilliant stars concealed by angry clouds, choked out of existence by billowing smoke that rose in a thick column from a bonfire burning in a field miles away from civilization. On this night the air was laden with the stench of death. Those who did live near by, country folk residing in small, ramshackle homes with leaking roofs, will claim to this day that they could smell fear-even taste it. 

            It was in this field, with the massive fire burning away like the pits of Hell, that a woman stood tied to a post, her elegant face pale and streaked with tears, her wild blue eyes watching the eight cloaked figures circling the blazing bon fire slowly, methodically as they chanted, their faces hid in the shadows of their sagging hoods. They were death. More specifically-they were her death. But she had known from the moment she had married, from the moment that marriage was consummated and she had become pregnant that this day would come just as it had come for her mother, a woman she had only known for the briefest amount of time. Yet part of her had dared to hope, had dared to dream of a life that was normal. She should have known better. Now she was paying for her foolishness. 

Her husband, a handsome man in his mid 30's with chiseled features, broad shoulders and laughing hazel eyes was no more, killed mercilessly by the figures now chanting to the fire before her. She would soon join him, but that thought gave her no pleasure for she was leaving behind the one thing she cherished most next to the man she had loved. Her eyes darted to a raised dais built crudely out of wood and a keening moan escaped her lips. God, her daughter. The one small life that would come out of this horrible night. The one small life she would never hold, never rock to sleep, never kiss the downy hair that covered her small head ever again. 

Fresh tears stung her eyes and rushed to join the others on her cheeks. She had to hold it together. She would not die this way! She was no coward and although that one part of her had dared to hope for something different, there was the logical part of her that had started to prepare for this day with the determination of a military sergeant. If she was going to die then it would be with honor.

Suddenly the chanting stopped and six of the men moved towards her. They looked like sinister ghosts shrouded in black sheets, floating rather then walking across the ground to her. She did not struggle. She did not cry out. She merely waited for her fate.

Two of the other men picked up carved bowls from the ground next to the dais and moved in position behind the others, their heads bowed low. A slicing noise cut into the air and as a blade was pulled from the folds of one of the mans robes. He held it up and very softly the chanting started once again. 

The mother stared at the men with pure hatred. Her lips moved and an incantation spilled from her mouth, the words pouring out on top of one another in her haste. She would leave her mark upon this world and she would leave it with her daughter, making her far more superior in strength then she had been. Maybe then she would have a chance; she would be able to live without fear.

Too involved in the task at hand, the cloaked men did not notice the light that flashed briefly around the infant; they did not notice the sadistic smile that curved the mother's lips as she faced them. And when the time came they did not notice that the mother's smile remained, fixed on her face, giving her a somewhat peaceful expressing despite the fact that she had been run through with the lethal blade and was now dying.

As the last breath left her, shuddering from her lungs in a futile protest, the two men with the bowls collected her blood. It would be needed to mark the child, to pass on the destiny of the mother to her babe. The prophecy would be fulfilled and they would be the ones to see to it. 

The child was marked with her mother's life force. She screamed the entire time, shrill wails that rose up into the night striking fear into even the cruelest beasts of the surrounding forests. That night, when the skies were as dark as they had ever been and the stench of death clung to everything a Prophecy was born.

Halfway around the world where the skies were sparkling a pristine blue and people walked the streets of New York City, unaware of the horrors that were taking place with the small child so far away, four pet turtles were released from their captivity when their young keeper was pushed by a man and accidentally dropped the large glass jar he was carrying them in. They were swept down the street and into the sewers, landing unceremoniously in a puddle of glowing green goo that would later be found out to be a very strong and unique mutegen. 

The Prophecy's saviors were born.     


	2. Chapter 1

**Authors Notes:** Hey! I'm glad you all liked the first bit! Your reviews were just the inspiration I needed. Now I think this is the last chapter I'll be rating PG-13 because I think the language is going to get a little racier after this. Eh, how knows. Again, thank you all and I hope you continue to enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer**: Something I forgot last time. I own nothing of NT. All I own is my character Alex. And this story is also placed several years in the future from the movies. The guys are all a little older…like their early 20's. 

****

**Chapter One**

The smell of blood, thick and heavy, floated in the air followed obstinately around by the chill of death. It was that smell and its all too eager accomplice that awoke the trembling form of a young woman from her fitful slumber. Doleful blue eyes lifted beneath a curtain of tangled blond hair, trying to see through the obscure blackness that surrounded her. She moved her arms slowly, testing them and sucking in a startled gasp as stinging pain pierced her neck and shoulders. Lifter her head further she could see that her arms were shackled at the wrists and were attached above her to a chain link fence. 

Panic slammed into her, causing her breathing to grow slightly irregular. She tried to think over the hammering of her heart but her mind felt groggy and disorientated. Flashes of fuzzy scenes passed through her head. Men in black outfits with red bands circling their heads, angry voices speaking in a language she didn't understand, her boyfriend Dan. Dan! She jerked her head around, searching frantically. Where the hell was he? Where the hell was she for that matter? All she could determine was that she was chained to a fence and sitting on a cold concrete floor. But why?

Her reply came in the form of blinding florescent lights. She closed her eyes against the offensive brightness, jerking back as if she had been struck. The buzz of voices started, echoing around her, speaking in that same language, the one she didn't understand. She knew she should have taken at least one foreign language in high school! 

She opened her eyes, squinting from the harsh lighting. Her gaze fell first to her chest, stomach and legs and she bit back a horrified scream. Her rose colored tank top had been sliced from the center of her breasts down and hung open, exposing her flat stomach and the intricate brand that had been burned into her flesh inches below her right breast when she was very young. The Japanese symbol for eternity embedded in a single flame. The shirt and her blue jeans were splattered with crimson blood. But it wasn't her blood. No, that blood belonged to the poor creatures, the rats and ravens that had been slaughtered and now littered the ground around her. Their throats had been slashed, their life's blood pooling onto the bleak gray concrete. 

The young woman's body convulsed as bile rose in her throat, choking her. Tears of panic burned in terrified azure eyes. Why was this happening to her?!

Booted footsteps broke through the accented murmurs, drawing her attention. She lifted her gaze. She shouldn't have but what did she have to lose? She was going to die tonight. She knew her situation could get no better. The certainty was alarming. Two men approached her. The shorter one wore a black robe with flowing sleeves and a dark red symbol etched into the fabric over his chest. He was bald, unmistakably Japanese and had black, untrustworthy eyes that watched her with a certain amount of scorn. The man beside him was taller. He wore a cynical grin as cold hazel eyes assessed her. "Hey there Alex."

Alexandria was going to be sick. There was no doubt of that. "D-Danny?" she croaked, her voice sounding pitiful in her own ears. 

He released a bark of cruel laughter, dragging a hand through his dark red hair. "Yup. It's me baby."

"But-," Alex swallowed hard. "What's going on Danny?"

Danny strode purposefully towards her. As he walked he pulled a red band from his jeans pocket and slipped it onto his head, adjusting it so that the symbol that graced the fabric was centered on his forehead. "You've been played Alex," he stated in a tone that almost edged on boredom. He hunched down to her level and placed a cold hand on her cheek. "You've been played good. Now you're going to do what I say, you got that?"

Alex shook her head frantically. Hot tears coursed down her cheeks. What the hell was happening?! The last thing she could remember was sitting on her couch in her New York apartment, watching a movie and cuddled up close to Dan's side. He had said such sweet things in her ear, things that made her laugh. There was no way this could possibly be the same Dan. "Why?" she asked in an agonized whisper. 

His hand slid from her cheek, brushing over her graceful neck and continuing it's awful decent over her full breasts and to her stomach where it came to a rest at the scar that had burdened her since childhood. "Because of this." He stood and turned his back to her, walking back to where the shorter man stood. "You're the one we've been looking for Alex. Legend speaks of a woman with the power to heal, the power to give life. She will bear the mark eternity upon her flesh." He turned and stared pointedly at her stomach. "You were granted with unfathomable powers…powers that we will put to use on these. We just want to see if you actually have it in you. Then it's on to the much bigger things." He gestured to the rats and large black birds around her. "Either you agree or you die. And we're not talking easy death here hun. We're talking long, painful…so the choice is yours."

"I don't know what you're talking about Danny!" She screamed, hysteria causing her muscles to clench and her stomach to quiver uneasily. The smell of blood lingered in her senses. Blood, god she hated the smell of blood. She hung her head. She felt cold, alone, and so scared. "I don't know why I have this scar and I sure as hell don't know what it means. You have to believe me. I don't have these powers that you seem to think I do!"

Dan quickly closed the distance between them, drawing back his hand and bringing it down with a resounding smack across her cheek. Alex's head whipped back as she cried out. She had no time to recover before that same hand grasped her hair mercilessly and yanked her head back. She stared up into cold eyes, eyes she thought she knew. "Don't lie to me bitch," Dan whispered threateningly. "You have ten minutes. When I come back you had better damn well have an answer for me."

He released her, throwing her head back against the fence and the lights went out once more, throwing her into darkness. Choking on a sob, Alex tried to think. She tried to block out the sounds of evil laughter, the smell of blood and death. She had ten minutes. Panic swam in her head. It made it impossible for her to think straight. But she had to. Her life depended on her own decision. "I'm going to be sick," she whispered, needing to hear her own voice. "I'm going to be sick…and then I'm going to die."

"No you're not."

Alex jumped at the sound of a rough male voice behind her. She started to scream and a hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off the sound. "Don't. We're going to get you out of here. Promise you wont scream?"

Alex nodded her head frenetically. She wasn't going to die! She would do the damn chicken dance if they asked her to just to avoid dying. The hand fell away and she drew in a deep breath, once again choking on the smell of blood.

"When I tell you to, I want you to run," the voice started speaking again as a hand slid up her arm to where the shackles circled her slim wrists, rubbing the skin raw beneath. "Don't look back, don't stop…just run. When the lights go on run for the shed on the other side. Our friends waitin' there for ya. You can trust him, okay?"

"O-okay," Alex stuttered, feeling the cold fingers of dread close around her heart. 

There was a tiny sound, like metal sliding against metal. It was followed by a click and her right arm was free. It fell limp and useless at her side. Another click and her left hand fell free.

"Dude, did you get her?" another male voice said.

"Yeah. I got her. Now, I know it's gonna hurt like hell," he said, once again speaking to Alex, "but you have to ignore it if you want to get out of here."

Alex sagged back against the cold fence, feeling the wire bite into her skin. She shivered once, uncertain of whether it was the fence or her blood soaked clothing clinging to her skin that caused her to do so. "I can't move my arms," she muttered pitifully. 

"Yeah, I know. But like I said, you've got to ignore it."

"Why are you doing this? Who are you?"

"We're the good guys."

She waited for him to say more but he didn't. Footsteps sounded like a death toll, ominous and heavy. They had come for her answer. She tensed, waiting for the signal from her mystery hero.  

"Stand up," he whispered behind her. 

She did so, grabbing the fence for support and pulling herself up as best she could until she was standing on long, unsteady legs. The footsteps grew closer. Tension snapped in the air, charging it for the impending battle. The unmistakable sound of electricity hummed to life. Alex closed her eyes, trying to block it out, trying to clear her head. 

"Now!" 

Alex's eyes snapped open and she pushed away from the fence, forcing trembling legs to move. It didn't take much. Pure terror was an excellent source of motivation. As soon as she started running light flooded the small yard, revealing small, crude houses enclosed by tall concrete walls and a frighteningly large group of black masked men. In front of her, shock written clearly on his face, was Danny.

'Keep running!' her mind demanded. Alex pushed herself, her legs pumping painfully as they carried her across the ground. She pushed right by the stunned Danny, almost knocking him over in the process. Behind her angry shouts pierced the night air as the men shrouded in black jumped into action. Several times she thought for sure she would be caught but someone was obviously watching out for her. 

She saw the shed only a few yards away and silently cheered. She was almost free. Suddenly something large slammed into her. Alex screamed as she went down, her shoulder hitting the ground with a sickening crack. Brutal hands flipped her onto her back and she stared up into Danny's enraged eyes. "You bitch!" he yelled, bringing his fist down across her jaw. The taste of blood exploded in her mouth, lying heavily on her tongue and she released an angry cry of defeat. 

"Danny…please…please don't do this," she begged, fearful tears collecting in her bright blue eyes. 

"Don't do what?" he asked in a sinister way. "This?" His hand went to his side and came up again, this time with a Kriss butterfly knife clutched in it. He lowered it slowly to her neck, resting the sharp tip of the blade just below her ear.

Alex froze, her eyes going wide as a startled gasp lodged itself in her throat. The blade slid gently down her neck, passing harmlessly over her jugular the he began to press, drawing forth a thin line of dark blood. He slid it down her throat and over her collarbone. It was then that Alex began to scream, crying out in desperate pleading sobs for help.

"You'll be dead before anyone gets here if you keep that up," Danny growled.

"Think again kid."

Danny whipped around, taking the knife with him. "YOU!" 

"That's right. Nice seeing you've reverted back to your old ways. Why don't you get off the girl and fight me?"  

Alex groggily listened to the exchange, lifting her hand and pressing it over the fresh wound to stop the flow of blood. She knew that voice with its thick New York accent. It was the guy who had saved her. How did he know Danny?  
"Come on kid. I'll even make it interesting for ya. Winner gets her."

The weight of Danny's body lifted from her. "I should have killed you years ago, freak," he growled, lunging at the guy Alex had yet to see. There was a muffled curse, followed by a hoarse cry and the sound of dead weight hitting the ground. Alex tried to sit up, praying desperately that it was Danny who had gone down. Spots swam before her eyes and a lingering darkness beckoned to her, promising sweet, painless oblivion. 

"Casey, get her out of here. We'll hold 'em off and meet you back at the lair."

It was him! He was okay! Tears of gratitude collected in her eyes. God, that meant she still had a chance to get out of there alive-if she didn't pass out first. Her head was pounding from the punch Danny had delivered to her jaw and the fact that she was loosing blood fast didn't help. Unexpectedly she was being pulled to her feet. She protested weakly, making feeble attempts to free herself. 

            "Hey, it's okay. I'm here to help you."

Alex looked up into the dark blue eyes of a very tall man with black hair that hung to his chiseled cheekbones. "Who-?" she choked out, swaying dangerously.

The man pressed a cloth to her neck and effortlessly picked her up, cradling her in his strong arms. "The name's Casey Jones. Let's get you out of here huh?"

Around them the fighting continued. It was impossible to tell who was winning or losing. Alex barley managed to stay conscious as they moved past the shed and into the darkness.

"Is she okay?" another strange voice asked.

Alex didn't bother opening her eyes. She was tired…so tired.

"The little shit cut into her neck. She's lost a lot of blood."

"Is that all hers?"

"No. Mikey said something about a bunch of dead rats and birds. They were spread out around her with their necks slit open."

"Sick! Why would they do something like that?"

"I don't know Leo. We'll have to ask her-."

The voices started to slur together and then fade, growing farther and farther away. Alex fought as hard as she could, terrified of what the darkness the continually called to her held but in the end she was too weak and easily succumbed, allowing unconsciousness to take her.

*~*~*~*~*~*

            "So how long do you plan on waiting?"

"Until he wakes up."

Michelangelo shook his head at his older brothers determination. "We got her Raph. Let's just get out of here and see if she's okay. Besides." He glanced nervously over his shoulder at the pile of slain animals and shuddered. "Those things are really starting to creep me out."

"So quit lookin' at 'em." Raphael replied, absently twirling one of his _sais_ as he waited for the kid to wake up. Beside him Michelangelo, more commonly known as Mikey or Mike, paced nervously, keeping a trained eye on the fallen members of the foot clan. Their brothers, Leonardo and Donatello had gone with Casey and the girl. Raph had refused to go with them. He wasn't going anywhere until some of his questions were answered. So, of course, Leo had asked Mikey to stay with him and make sure he didn't get into any trouble. It didn't really bother Raph that Leo did things like that, not anymore. Leo was just being the protective older brother. Well, that and the fact that it was always Raph that was getting caught and held captive.

His patience snapping, Raphael walked over to the unconscious red head and kicked him in the side. "Come on kid. I ain't got all night."

The guy groaned, slowly opening his eyes. 

"About damn time," Raph muttered. He reached down and grabbed a fist full of the young mans shirt, yanking him to his feet and slamming him into a nearby wall. "Hey there Danny," he drawled, placing the tip of his _sai_ against the red heads stomach. "Got some questions for ya."

"Why should I answer any of your questions?" Danny asked in a voice laced with loathing. 

"Because I have this." Raph pressed his _sai_ into Danny's stomach, grinning when the young man's hazel eyes went wide with fear. "First question. What are you doing back with the Foot?"

Danny shrugged. "Why not? It's a good life. I have everything I could possibly want."

"Yeah, and it's all stolen," Mike said derisively, coming to stand beside Raph. "Real honorable buddy."

Danny glared at the two mutants, his blood boiling. "I have more honor then you'll ever know."

"Really? Last time I checked there wasn't much honor in chaining a helpless woman to a fence."

"Helpless?!" Danny barked incredulously. He threw his head back and laughed. "Oh please, the girl is far from helpless."

Raph tightened his hold on Danny's collar, choking off his harsh laughter. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" When Danny didn't answer right away he pushed his weapon further into the yielding flesh of his stomach, drawing a pained gasp from the man's mouth. "Answer me kid."

Danny lifted his head, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "She's different. The girls a damn prophesy, one we've been waiting for. She was given a gift, the ability restore life."

"Riiiight," Raph said, rolling his eyes. "And what exactly would you need that for?"

Danny smiled maliciously. "Take a wild guess." He knew the moment the two mutants had figured it out. Their eyes widened and the younger one shook his head in denial. "That's right. You killed our Master, our leader. But we found him. And we're going to use her to bring him back."

Raphael had to resist the almost overpowering urge to beat the hell out of the arrogant man. "Good luck finding her. We've got her now."

"For now." The smile left Danny's face. "But you can't protect her forever. I know where she lives…I've slept in her bed. You can't keep her hidden. We'll find her, we'll use her…then we'll probably kill her. Or keep her around. Having a living, breathing prophecy could be beneficial, not to mention convenient. We've got a lot of guys…she could be of more use then just bringing shit back to life."

Raph pulled his fist back and slammed it into Danny's face, grimly satisfied when he heard the crack of bones. He let go of his collar and the boy slumped to the ground, out cold. "Let's go," Raph said, sliding his _sai_ back into his belt and leading the way back to their underground lair.

*~*~*~*~*~*

            Leonardo watched his brother Donatello painstakingly apply an adhesive to the large gash that went from the girl's neck and ended several inches below her collarbone. He was eternally grateful for the advances in the medical field. The adhesive was strong enough to act as stitches, holding the skin together. For added protection Don taped a large, rectangular shaped bandage over the cut. When he was done, he pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over the girl's body.

"Is she going to be okay?" Leo asked anxiously. 

Sighing wearily, Donatello sat back in the chair he had been sitting in while tending to the girl who now occupied their worn couch. "Should be. All she needs is a little rest and she'll be as good as new in a few days."

Leo nodded, his eyes traveling over the young woman's blood stained clothes. "I hope Casey gets here soon. That can't be too comfortable for her."

On cue, footsteps sounded near the entrance. Leo looked up, expecting to see Casey but was still greatly relieved when Raph and Mikey walked into the room. "Did you find out anything?"

Raph nodded, walking up to the couch and resting his hands on the back of it while staring down at the sleeping woman. "Kid said she's a prophecy. They were going to use her to bring the Shredder back to life."

"You've got to be kidding!" Leo exclaimed.

"He had to be making it up," Don added, shaking his head slowly back and forth. "It's a scientific impossibility. Nothing like that could ever exist."

Mike came around the couch and sat next to Leo on the coffee table. "I don't know dude's. He sounded pretty serious-and pissed. Raph kinda knocked him out."

"He had it coming," Raph said defensively.

Leonardo studied the young woman. "So a prophecy huh?"

"One that dates back to early Japan. One that has remained hidden for quite sometime and one that has become very corrupted in it's telling."

The four mutant turtles turned towards the voice, watching their sensei and father come out of one of the several subway cars that took up their lair and walk slowly into the living room area. "So it's true? There really is a prophecy about this girl?" Don asked. 

Splinter, an old mutated rat in ragged clothing with a missing ear, approached the couch, leaning on a gnarled cane. He stared down at the girl, gingerly reaching out and pulling the blanket away from her until he found what he was looking for. The Flame of Eternity. "Yes," he said at length. "It is true. I have only heard the story told once but for several years have remembered it well. It speaks of a girl with powers. She came into the world a child bearing the mark of the flame. Once born, she was taken from her family and in place of the birthmark was branded a symbol, the Eternal Flame. It represented power, a power very dangerous, and one that should never be toyed with. I think Danny…has heard a different version."

"She was taken from her parents? That's awful," Leonardo said, feeling deep sympathy for the life the poor woman had been given.

"You mean Danny didn't have his facts straight?" Mike asked. "Kid's kinda not all there huh?"

A groan sounded from the couch and they all turned their attention to the strange girl, waiting for her to wake up.

Alex came to slowly, the pounding headache that started behind her eyes and worked its way back making it almost impossible for her to shrug off the unconsciousness. She opened her eyes, blinking several times as they adjusted to the dim light. Everything gradually came into focus. Alex turned her head to the side, gasping in shock when her eyes rested upon two human sized turtles, one wearing a blue mask, the other wearing orange. They sat on a table, staring apprehensively at her. She jerked up despite the protests of her aching body but was immediately pushed back down by a pair of strong hands on her shoulders. She looked up into the stern face of yet another turtle, this one wearing a red mask. "You'd stay down if you knew what was good for ya," he said.

She stared up at him, her initial shock slowly fading at the sound of his thick accent. "You," she murmured, recognizing his voice. "You're the one who saved me."

He jerked his hands back, almost as if he had been burned, embarrassment briefly flashing in his dark eyes. "Yeah well…don't make a big deal out of it. I wasn't the only one there."

Alex lifted her head slightly, seeing another turtle wearing a purple mask and standing beside an old, mutated rat. With a shaky sigh she lowered her head back to the pillow. "What happened?" she asked softly, dreading the answer.

The turtle in the orange mask spoke first. "Well, it's kinda like this. I was out last night lookin' for something to do and I was walking by this apartment when this guy runs out carrying…well, you. You weren't awake or anything so it looked pretty bad, you know? Then two members of the Foot joined in and I knew something was up so I followed them back to wherever the hell they took ya and went back for reinforcements. Sorry it took so long."

"The Foot Clan is an old enemy of ours," the blue masked turtle sitting beside him explained. 

Alex nodded slowly, forcing down a swift wave of nausea. "Um…I'm sorry but did you say last night?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"Yeah," the one in the orange mask said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

She'd been out for an entire day? For some unknown reason, that scared the hell out of her. Her mind started conjuring up dreadful images of what could have happened, what they could have done to her in those twenty-four hours.

Alarmed at how pale she had become in a matter of seconds, Leonardo reached over, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. She turned frightened blue eyes to him. "Are you okay?"

"I…I don't think so," she whispered, nausea slowly building in her stomach. "Do you have any aspirin?"

Leo nodded to Don and the purple masked turtle disappeared into a subway car, coming out a minute later with a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. Alex carefully pushed herself up, thanking him and taking three pills, washing them down quickly with the water.

"So what's your name?" Leonardo asked after she had drained the contents of the glass and handed it back to Don.

"Alexandria. Or just Alex." She pulled the blankets up around her, hiding the view of her filthy clothes from the five mutants and herself. "You?"

"My names Leonardo." He elbowed the one sitting next to him. "This is Michelangelo."

The orange masked turtle smiled, giving her a little wave. "You can call me Mikey."

"The guy behind you is Raphael, that's Donatello and our sensei Splinter," Leonardo said, finishing up the introductions. "We'll give you the whole story tomorrow. You don't look up to a bunch of explanations right now."

Alex gave him an appreciative smile. "Thank you."

"Hold up Leo. I think we should get at least one explanation tonight," Raphael said.

"Raph, don't."

As usual though, Raphael didn't listen. "Danny said something about you bein' a prophecy. What's that all about?" he asked, pinning Alex with cold, demanding eyes. 

She visibly tensed, drawing away from them physically and mentally. "I don't know," she said, her voice barley above a whisper. 

"I think you do," he insisted, leaning over the couch. 

Alex stared at him in disbelief. Was he actually doing this? She didn't even know him and her he was pushing her for answers she didn't want to give. "No…I don't," she muttered coldly. His ebony eyes were burning into hers and she could clearly see that he knew she was lying. She silently cursed herself for the inability to stretch the truth and started to fear what he was going to do. 

"I don't buy it. You know exactly what he was talkin' about."

He pushed too far too fast and Alex snapped. "I said I don't know what the hell he's talking about!" she screamed, her eyes filling with angry tears. "Why are you doing this?! You don't even know me! Stop interrogating me!!"

Raphael stared at the woman in shock, watching the tears roll down her flushed cheeks. This he hadn't expected. A breakdown maybe, a little information on what she was, but not such furious anger. Not used to being yelled at by anyone but Leo, he opened his mouth to say something but Splinters gravely voice cut him off.

"You have nothing to fear from us child," the wise rat murmured, trying to calm the distressed female. "We will never harm you."

She stared at him for a moment, her mouth slightly agape, burning tears staining her face. Finally she spoke. "I…I never wanted this," she said in a tortured whisper.

Splinter nodded, placing a hand over her head and giving her a warm smile. "We shall speak no more of it tonight. You need your rest. All of us do." He threw a pointed glance at Raphael and turned, making his way slowly back to his designated subway car. 

Uncomfortable silence filled the room, neither of them knowing what exactly to say to make things better. Thankfully Casey chose that moment to return, carrying with him a large duffle bag. "Hey guys. I'm back," he said, walking up to the tense group. 

"Casey," Alex gazed up at the rugged looking man.

Casey smiled down at her. "Hey, you're awake! Hope you don't mind but I took your I.D. and went to your apartment to get some things for ya. Locked the place up too…not that locking the door would actually stop those low lives."

Smiling, Alex accepted the bag from him and placed it in her lap. "Well thank you just the same. Leonardo, umm…you wouldn't happen to have a shower here, would you?" 

"Yeah. Mikey will show you were it is." 

Michelangelo stood, holding out a hand for Alex and helping her up. She stumbled once, falling against him. "Guess my legs are still asleep," she mumbled, refusing to think of other reasons why her legs may be tender. 

Smiling down at her after grabbing her bag and slinging it over his shoulder, Mike looped his arm around her waist to support her, slightly surprised to find that she was about the same height as him, and then he started to lead her towards the bathroom. "It's cool babe. Can't really complain about having beautiful women fall on me!"

Alex laughed softly. "Very nice Mikey."

"I try." 

After giving her a towel and letting her know that sleeping on the couch was only a one night deal, they would have a place set up for her tomorrow, Michelangelo left her, placing her bag on the floor beside the counter. She shut the door and slowly removed her clothing, turning on the shower and watching as steam rose in lazy tendrils above her head, caressing the cold tiles with transparent ghost like hands. Stepping into the shower she sighed and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of hot water sliding over her body while taking care to keep it clear of the bandages Donatello had placed over her long cut. The dirt washed away as well as the blood, but the feeling of queasiness, the thought that unknown things may have been done to her could not be washed away.

One minute passed, then two. Finally Alex hesitantly lowered her gaze to her legs. She inspected them closely for bruises but found none. Pressing questing fingertips along the insides of her thighs she was immensely relieved when she found no lingering soreness around the area of sensitive flesh between her legs. "Thank god," she sighed, leaning against the water dampened wall and dropping her head back. Of course nothing could be truly determined until she sought a professional's opinion, and she probably would but that could wait until tomorrow. For the most part she was convinced that she had not been touched…not in a sexual way at least. So now what was she going to do?

She thought of the four mutant turtles that had been willing to endanger their own lives to save hers. Could she trust them? She had thought she could trust Danny but that was obviously far from the truth. These guys though….they had saved her and they seemed nice enough. Well, most of them did. Her blood simmered as she remembered the heated argument between herself and Raphael. Didn't he know better then to push people for answers they were not willing to give? No, probably not. 

Alex finished her shower and stepped from the tub, wrapping a towel around her body. She went over to the small mirror above the sink and wiped off the steamy residue immediately hating what she saw. 

Wide eyes filled with fear and edged in a thin layer of unmistakable exhaustion stared back at her. Her skin, even after a hot shower was unbelievably pale. Then there was the bandage covering her neck and chest. She painstakingly removed it, wincing at the sight of the hideous gash. It would be there forever, a reminder of Danny's heartbreaking betrayal, just as the scar on her side, the symbol of eternity embedded in a single flame would forever be a constant reminder of who she was. She closed her eyes wishing the pain would go away and leave her be. 

This had happened before except the previous time she had been foolish enough to share her secret. Not the entire truth of course, but it was enough. Her boyfriend had become obsessed. The only thing he wanted her for after that was her power. He became greedy and dangerous. So dangerous that Alex's only choice was to disappear. She thought the nightmare was finally over once she had arrived in New York. She had settled down into a cozy one-bedroom apartment and found a well paying job at a charming bookshop. Then she had met Danny. He had joined her for coffee when she was on break one day, oozing charm and they had started seeing each other. She should have seen it coming. She should have known. 

Several months into their relationship they had become intimate. That was the first Danny had ever seen or heard of the scar. Then the questions never stopped. She avoided the truth as much as she could, for the most part sticking to an "I was at a party and was drunk enough to think it was a good idea," story. And now here she was, underneath the city after having faced near death by the hand of the man she thought she might have loved. How very wrong she had been. 

Alex sucked in an unsteady breath and turned away from the mirror. She couldn't look at herself any longer. Slipping into a pair of plain red pajama pants and a white shirt that buttoned down the middle, exposing half of the angry looking cut, she slipped silently out of the bathroom, her eyes scanning the room for any other inhabitants. There were none. They were probably all sleeping soundly right now. Her feet padded softly across the cement floor as she looked around; studying the old stained glass arches over the abandoned station. Muted light sifted out of one of the cars, from the looks of it a kitchen maybe? 

Alex placed her bag on the floor by the couch and grabbed the thick quilt hanging over one of the arms. Wrapping it around her she sank onto the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest. God she felt so alone. Would it ever stop? Would the running ever stop? No, it would not. As long as the prophecy existed power hungry fools would continually seek her out and there was nothing, nothing she could do to stop it. 

Hidden in the shadows of a doorway across the room two figures stood, watching the young woman. "You should go apologize. She really didn't need that and you know it."

"I was just askin' her a simple question Leo. She could have answered."

"Raph, look at her. She's terrified and I don't blame her. You didn't really make her feel like she had a good reason to feel safe here."

Raphael turned to his older brother with a frustrated sigh. "If I go apologize will you get off my back?" 

"Yes," Leonardo replied, keeping his voice low. "She's going to be staying here for a while Raph. I think we should at least make her feel welcome."

"Fine." Raph gave Leo one last scathing look and made his way slowly across the floor to where Alex sat, her vacant gaze focused straight ahead. It was unnerving seeing her like that. The only word that came to his mind was detached. That's how she looked; like she was separate from this world and living in her own hell. The sight was enough to make even him feel bad for her.

As he approached her she looked up, her bright cerulean eyes frosting over. "Come to harass me some more?" she asked in a low voice. 

Raphael ignored her question and came around the table, sitting down on it directly in front of her. This wasn't going to be fun. He wasn't really one for saying sorry, even if some small voice was nagging at him that he really _did_ owe it to her. "About what I did earlier. I'm…sorry." 

She was clearly shocked by his words. Her mouth dropped open slightly. "You're sorry," she stated, studying him guardedly. The blanket slipped off her shoulder, pulling her shirt with it and exposing the soft flesh beneath; marred by the straight laceration Danny had placed upon her. 

"Yeah…I'm sorry," he murmured, the words coming more easily. "And…not just for pushin' ya." He leaned forward; his good sense no longer guiding his actions. The sight of her sun kissed skin had stirred something deep within him, something that persistently pointed out that she was female, and a damn good looking one at that. His hand reached out before he could stop it. He heard her breath catch as his fingers gently traced outside the ugly cut. "I'm sorry for this too. I shoulda been there earlier to stop him. I'm sorry I wasn't."

Alex stared at him, her heart racing at the feel of his fingers against her bare skin. Oddly she wasn't afraid. His touch actually felt incredibly good, almost healing. Tears sprang to her eyes, his gentleness breaking the damn of emotions that she had tried so hard to build up in the past few hours. "It's okay," she whispered, feeling hot tears slide over her cheeks. 

Her tears had an unexpected effect on Raphael. He had never been affected by a woman's crying before but for some unknown reason this woman's tears made him feel…bad. He didn't want to see her cry. What the hell was going on with him?  "Hey," he said softly, moving his hand from her shoulder to cradle the side of her face. "What Splinter said earlier…he was telling the truth. You don't have to be afraid of us. We're gonna protect you."

Alex regarded him with those wide bright eyes and he was lost. "I know," she whispered softly, lifting a hand and placing it over his. They sat in silence, gazing into one another's eyes and slowly Raphael's common sense started taking over again. He realized how insane it was that they were sitting like this. They didn't even know each other! He jerked his hand back, his ebony eyes hardening. "Get some sleep," he muttered, quickly getting up and leaving her before anything else happened. 

Alex was speechless. What had just happened? She watched his retreating back with a bothersome sense of disappointment, wondering why he had changed so abruptly. One minute he was caring and gentle, the next hard and distant. He was going to be zero fun to figure out. Sighing with more exhaustion then she even knew existed, Alex spread out across the couch, setting aside tonight's problems for the next day.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Same rules apply! I own absolutely nothing aside from my own character! Chapter Two 

****

"How long do you think she's gonna sleep?" Michelangelo asked as he stared inquisitively at the small bundle of female buried under a pile of blankets on their couch.

Donatello replied with a brief shrug, "I don't know. I don't think we should wake her though. She probably needs as much of it as she can get." He laughed as Mikeglanced anxiously between Alex and the TV set. The laughter immediately died away though when he saw his younger brother grab the remote. "Mikey-," he started to warn.

"Do you think she'd wake up if we kept the volume low?" His finger hovered above the power button.

"I don't know. I wouldn't try it if I were you."

Mike smirked. "Well Donnie, you're not me."

The TV came on with a burst of loud sound, startling the two turtles.

"Turn it down!" Don hissed, grabbing for the remote.

Mike yanked it out of his reach. "I'm trying dude!" He hit the mute button and they both whipped around to see if they had disturbed Alex's sleep. The blankets shifted. They held their breath. A sleepy, muffled sound arose from the thick blankets and then everything was quiet once again. 

Don released his breath and lightly smacked Mike upside the head. "Way to go."

"Hey. It wasn't me! I don't even listen to TV that loud!" the younger turtle protested in a low voice. 

"What's going on guys?"

Hearing Leonardo's voice, he dropped the remote on the table and smiled innocently. "Nothing."

Leonardo looked at the TV then back at Michelangelo, raising a brow in disbelieve. "Nothing huh? You didn't wake her up, did you?"

"Nope. The girls out cold."

"Let her keep sleeping then."

Raphael walked into the room carrying two trench coats. Sparing the pile of blankets an amused glance, he handed one to Leo. "Ready?" he asked, pulling his own worn coat on.

"Yeah. Let's go."

"Where are you two going?" Don asked.

Leo grabbed a fedora from the back of a nearby chair. "We're going to go see April and ask her if she's heard anything. We'll probably check out Alex's apartment too and make sure everything's okay. Did you want to come?"

"Sure."

Don left the room to get his coat and Leo turned to his youngest brother. "What about you Mikey?"

"Nah, that's cool. I'll just ahhh…" He nodded to Alex. "Stay here in case she wakes up."

Both Raph and Leo gave him skeptical looks but said nothing. 

"Alright. I'm ready," Don said as he rejoined them, hastily pulling on his coat and hat.

"Bye guys!" Mike called, waving them off. "Tell April I say hi! Bring me back somethin' nice!" Once they were gone he whipped around and grabbed the remote off the table, quickly turning down the volume and flipping through the channels. He stopped, finding the one he wanted and sighed in relief. "Just in time."

He looked down at the couch where Alex lay, the blankets raising and falling with each gentle breath she took. Michelangelo had no clue who she was or what she was even like but he still felt horrible. No woman deserved to be treated the way she had been. As carefully as he could he sat down next to her, taking up the space her huddled body had allowed. He could only hope that she wouldn't decide to spread out.

Watching her for a reaction, he slowly started to turn up the volume on the TV until he could clearly hear the theme song of one of his favorite shows playing. "Passions." One last nervous glance at Alex confirmed that she was still asleep so Mikey settled in; loosing himself in the over dramatized daytime soap. Ten minutes passed. On screen the actress named Beth chewed her bottom lip nervously as she became precariously close to being busted once again for plotting to kill off Sheridan Crane. 

"God, haven't they killed that conniving bitch off yet?"

Michelangelo jumped at the sound of a groggy voice beside him, immediately reaching for the remote. 

"Too late honey," Alex murmured, chuckling softly. "You were busted about five minutes ago." The blankets were thrown aside and Alex emerged looking much better then the last time he had seen her. Her cheeks were flushed from sleep and her eyes sparkled warmly, holding in their depths the life they had lacked the previous night. She looked around for a moment, her expression slightly disorientated as if she was trying very hard to remember what had happened to bring her here, then her brow smoothed she started to look more relaxed. "You know what I love about this show?"

"The overkill of insanity?" Mike suggested, feeling strangely comfortable in her presence. 

Alex smiled at him, revealing a dazzling row of straight white teeth and the tiniest dimple on her right cheek. "Close, but no." She moved closer to him, crossing her legs beneath her and situating the blankets around her. "I love how you can miss a week of it and still know what's going on. I swear it takes them a minimum of two weeks to actually do anything." Mike laughed and her smile deepened. "I'm sorry but I don't remember much from last night. What was your name again?"

"Michelangelo."

"Mikey, right-I remember now. It's nice to meet you."

He smiled at her, mostly because it was such an easy thing to do. Take away all the angst and pain she had suffered and you had a friendly, easygoing woman with a beautiful smile and gorgeous deep blue eyes. Yup, she was a total babe alright! Granted he could still see the fear. It lingered on the edge of the happiness she was displaying, lurking in the shadows of her eyes. She was trying hard to suppress it. He could tell. And he wasn't the kind of guy to force her to deal with what had happened. Let Leo or Raph be the ones to make her come to terms with what had happened. He would be the one to keep her happy. "You hungry?" he asked when a commercial came on.

Alex's blue eyes went wide and she nodded enthusiastically. "God yes! I actually think my stomach is starting to eat itself." As if to agree with her, her stomach growled loudly.

"I get the point," Mike said, laughing as he got up and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned minutes later with a jug of grape juice and a plate full of left over pizza. "Breakfast is served!" He gave the plate a dejected look and shrugged. "It's kind of all we have right now," he said, handing her the plate and sitting down. "I think the guys are bringing back more food."

Alex dug in, eating with fervor. She wasn't picky about food, not right now. As long as it was edible it was good enough for her. Five minutes later the plate was almost empty. Holding out the last slice to Mike, she nodded to the juice and said, "Trade ya?"

"Deal," he agreed, taking the plate and handing her the jug.

They sat in silence, Michelangelo munching happily at his pizza, Alex taking occasional sips of juice, both watching the semi-horrid plot unfold onscreen. 

 "So," Alex said after a while. "What happened to you?" At his inquisitive look she went on. "What made you and your brothers the way you are?"

"You mean ruggedly handsome and charming?"

She laughed, elbowing him lightly. "Come on. Tell me."

Mike chuckled. He knew this story by heart. The credit rolled on the TV and he turned to face her, slinging an arm over the back of the couch and pulling one of his legs up in front of him. "Okay, it all started 19 years ago…."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Two hours and forty-five minutes after they had left, Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael trudged through the dark tunnels leading to their home, disappointed that they had found nothing that explained the sudden return of the Foot or what they wanted from Alex. There had been no recent rise in crime, no disappearing teenagers, and after a quick scan of Alex's record, courtesy of Donatello, they had found it was relatively clean. So they returned home with a big amount of nothing. 

"If I could get a better look at the um…mark on her side maybe I could look it up online," Don thought out loud.   

Leo shook his head. "I don't think that would be a good idea. Not now anyway. We should let her get used to us first."

A sudden cry echoed through the silent tunnels. All three turtles heads snapped up in alarm. 

"That came from the lair," Leo murmured, his hands already reaching for his katana's. 

"That was Mikey," Raph added. "Let's go."

They ran hard for the lair, almost stumbling down the short flight of stairs I their haste. 

Two heads were visible over the top of the couch, unmoving and completely silent. On the television Steve Irwin chased yet another frighteningly huge crocodile around. The three approached the couch slowly, coming around the side and staring with a mixture of shock and confusion at the two TV watchers. Was Alex actually smiling? Did Michelangelo seriously have his arm around her?! 

Irritated by the false alarm, Leo loudly and quite obviously cleared his throat. Both Alex and Mikey jumped and turned their heads to look up at him. Alex gasped, fearfully moving closer to the orange masked turtle beside her.

"Crikey, they look angry!" Mike exclaimed softly, pulling a perfect Australian accent. 

Alex spoke next, surprising even her couch companion with her choice of words. "Danger, danger, danger." She and Mike burst out laughing, Alex falling back against him as he pulled her into a loose headlock, careful to avoid her injury.

The three older turtles were stunned by the sudden turn in her attitude. She was acting as if nothing had even happened to her last night!

"Welcome back guys. Did you find anything?" Mike asked, relinquishing his hold on the beautiful young woman. 

"No," Leo answered distractedly, his wary gaze focused on Alex. 

She stared back, aware of the suspicion banked in his speculative gaze, aware of the tension that slowly started to fill the room. A part of her wanted to leave, to get away before any of them had the chance to throw more questions at her. Another part of her wanted to stay locked in this stare down with who she had assumed to be the leader of the four. If he was, then he was the guy she wanted to prove herself to. She would not be intimidated. She would answer their questions when she wanted to. Spending one day completely helpless was enough. 

She narrowed her eyes slightly and his widened at the obvious show of subtle defiance. She could actually tell how antsy he was to get some answers! Well, that was just too bad. 

A hand squeezed her elbow and she almost smiled. Michelangelo. She would never have to worry about him pushing her for information. In the two hours they had spent together he had carefully avoided the subject of last night. He had shown her that she could trust him and for the most part she did. It was the other three she had to worry about. 

Deciding to put an end to her and Leo's little competition, she stopped glaring and arched a delicate brow questioningly. Blushing, Leo dropped his gaze and the victory went to Alex. "I'll be back in a bit," she murmured to Mike, getting up and leaving the room. 

The four mutants watched her go and then three sets of eyes settled on Michelangelo. "Mind tellin' us what that was all about?" Raph asked, shrugging out of his coat and tossing it over the back of the couch.

"What?"

"We leave for two hours, come back and you and the prophecy are all buddy-buddy."

Mike smiled, getting up and clearing the dishes from the coffee table. "What can I say? The girl totally fell for me. And she has a name Raph."

"Come on Mikey, be serious for a minute," Don scolded lightly. "Did she tell you anything?"

"No."

"Well did you ask her about last night?"

"No." He held his hands up in front of him to stop any further questions from coming. "Look, I'm not gonna be the bad guy here. Alex has had a rough couple of days and if she doesn't want to talk about it I'm not going to be the one to make her. Oh, and if you dudes didn't notice, she was smiling before you showed up."

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Raph more or less demanded, switching into his usual defensive mode.

"It means you guys scare the shit out of her," Mike bit out, uncharacteristically standing up to his older brother. 

"Come on guys, don't start this," Don muttered, getting in between the two, knowing full well it was a bad idea.

"Stay out of it Donnie. This is between me and the girl's boyfriend."

"Has anyone ever told you how much of an asshole you are Raph?"

As the argument progressed, growing more intense, Leo slipped away unnoticed. He turned down a hallway that led to his and Don's rooms and the bathroom, running into the one person he had been looking for. Alex stumbled back, clearly taken off guard by his unexpected appearance, and her foot caught on a raised piece of concrete. His instincts kicking in automatically, Leo reached forward, wrapping an arm tightly around her slender waist to stop her fall. "Donnie was supposed to fix that," he stated vaguely, unaware of how close he was holding her. 

Alex started up at him, her heart beating swiftly. "Did you want a rematch?" she asked, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"No," he answered, keeping his arm around her. It was important that she heard him out. In the dim light of the hallway he could see the emotions playing through her deep blue eyes, emotions she was trying to hide, the ones she was using to hide them. She didn't trust him. 

"Alex, I'm sorry."

"Do you even know what you're sorry for?" she asked, now sounding very much tired. "Do you Leonardo?"

She reminded him of Splinter when she spoke like that. "I'm not sure," he said honestly, his hand dropping from below her shoulder blade to the small of her back. "I'm sorry for acting the way I did out there…for acting suspicious. It's that prophecy thing. I don't know what to expect from you or even how to treat you for that matter."

Anger flared in her eyes and he knew right away that he had picked the wrong choice of words. "Try treating me like a normal human being. No one's ever done that before," she hissed, pulling free of his hold and disappearing around the corner. His honor told him to follow her and make things right. His common sense told him that may have been one of the stupidest idea's he'd ever had. Sighing, he leaned back against the wall and let her go.

Alex stormed into the living room, fighting a loosing battle with her fury. How dare he say those things to her! He didn't know how to treat her because she was a damn prophecy? The last time she checked she was just as human as anyone else. Why was she the only one who saw this? She sighed loudly. Thankfully the only one to hear it was Michelangelo. He sat on the couch, watching her with sympathetic brown eyes. "You wanna get out of here?"

Alex nodded weakly. Standing, Mike grabbed the trench coat Raphael had left hanging over the back of the couch. He waited as Alex pulled a sweatshirt out of her bag and put it on. Then he wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a gesture of comfort and led her out of the lair.

*~*~*~*

"Better?" Mike asked, sitting across from Alex in the booth of a poorly lit restaurant. They had been gone for almost an hour and Alex had been silent the entire time. Her somber gaze reflected only a deep, heartbreaking sadness that seemed, for the most part, untouchable. She poked a spoon at her ice cream, which was rapidly melting, the vanilla a chocolate syrup swirling together. Mike had watched April go for the ice cream several times when she was upset but it didn't seem like Alex was anything like his other female friend. "Come on Alex. You can talk to me." He reached across the table, placing a three-fingered hand over hers.

Alex looked up. "Mikey…I look normal to you, don't I?"

"Depends on what you consider normal. I'd rather be abnormal myself." A small smile flashed across her face and Michelangelo silently congratulated himself. "Yeah, you look normal."

Her shoulders slumped and she dropped her spoon unceremoniously into her bowel. It landed with a loud clatter, startling a few of the quiet restaurant's patrons. "But I'm not," she murmured dolefully. "I never will be."

"Alex." Mike placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her head so that he could look at her, gaze into her deep blue eyes that sparkled with unshed tears. "Being normal is overrated. I mean…look who you're shacked up with." He lowered his voice. "Four mutant turtles and a rat. There's nothing normal about us…but that's never bothered me. Does it bother you?"

She looked taken aback by his question. "N-no."

"Look, I know you're having a hard time right now and I know you're scared but we're not the bad guys. We're going to help you. All this normal/not normal stuff…don't worry about it. You're normal enough to me." He dropped his hand and went back to eating his own hot fudge sundae. "Plus…you're totally hot," he added with a teasing smirk before taking a bite of fudge covered ice cream. 

Alex stared at him with her mouth hanging open for several seconds before laughter burst from her parted lips. Mike smiled. He loved to hear her laugh. It was one of the most beautiful and unique sounds he had ever heard, husky and soft and, in a way, seductive. Her laughter drew the attention of a stuck up looking couple a few table away. Mike tipped his hat up and winked at the woman who, he thought, looked as if she had over dosed on botox. She, in turn gave him a disgusted look, sticking her aristocratic nose in the air. "Frigid bitch," he intoned. He jerked his thumb in the snob's direction. "See what being normal does for ya?"

Alex sobered and leaned across the seat, peering around the booth and giving an involuntary shudder when she saw the couple Mike had pointed at. Moving back in her seat she graced her escort with one of her rare, heart melting smiles. "I see what you mean."

"What brought on that question anyway?"

Alex shrugged unconvincingly. She reached for a napkin and began to nervously shred it into little pieces. "I don't know," she said after a while. "Leonardo said he didn't know what to expect from me or how to treat me because-."

Mike looked up, waiting for her to finish. It soon became apparent that she wasn't going to and probably didn't want to. "No one's making you talk babe."

"I know."

"And in Leo's defense…that's just the way he is. He didn't mean anything by it."

Alex thought about that for a moment. He had seemed genuinely sorry for treating her the way he had. But throwing the prophecy thing in her face had cost him. She hated being reminded of what she was. It was like a black cloud constantly hanging over her head and reminding her that she was not like most people and no matter how hard she ran or how far…she would never be able to escape what she was.

"Alex."

She looked up into deep brown eyes filled with concern. Real concern. She had never seen that before. Michelangelo's hand closed over hers and his thumb brushed gently over her knuckles. "Trust us."

Trust. Did she know how to do that? She couldn't remember the last time she had actually allowed herself to fully trust someone. Hell, even with Danny she'd had reservations. There was something about Mikey and his brothers though. She wanted to trust them. They were different…like her. She swallowed hard. "O-okay."

She turned her hand over, curling her fingers around Mike's. He gave her hand a light squeeze and smiled. "Alright. Lets eat and get back before mom starts to worry."

"Mom?"

"Leo."

Alex chuckled as Michelangelo winked at her and went back to eating. 'Life sure is going to be interesting from now on,' she thought. If only she knew exactly how right she was.


	4. Chapter 3

Alright guys…either I'm doing something wrong or you're just not liking what you see. It's okay if you don't…but let me know. I mean…are there things I should change? Are there things that are missing that are so painfully obvious it makes you want to hurt me? Its okay to say yes…my bf does all the time, lol. But really…reviews as well as criticism are welcome. I like to know when I'm doing something wrong.  Until then I have to keep posting because I already wrote the damn thing and the bf's going to start questioning my sanity if I have this fic laying around that I'm not doing anything with. Thank you for your time!

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing. Own my character and the idea of the story…but that is all!

****

**Chapter Three**

****

Silence was deafening. Alex had always known this fact to be true in some corner of her mind but never knew the extent of that truth until now. When she and Michelangelo had returned he had gone off in search of Donatello and that was the last she had seen of the four brothers and their Sensei, Splinter. She knew they were…somewhere. She would hear the occasional raised voice or muffled groans, all of which made her incredibly curious. But either than those few noises there was only the silence.

Alex shifted positions on the couch, folding her legs beneath her. In front of her the screen of the television sat, reflecting her figure. She didn't feel like watching anything. Even if the silence was a little overwhelming, the thought of turning the television on just didn't appeal to her. She looked at the clock on the VCR. It was already six. Almost time for supper. Would it consist of more left over pizza? Maybe she could do something to prevent that from happening. An idea slowly started forming in her mind. Michelangelo had said his brothers were bringing back groceries.

Making sure she was truly alone she reached for her bag, pulling it up on the couch beside her and digging through it for a pair of jeans and a light tee shirt. When she found what she was looking for she set it aside and dug further, wondering what else Casey had thought to pack for her. Her hands brushed against something cool and flat and she smiled, pulling out a thick CD case. "Remind me to thank that man the next time I see him," she murmured as she stood and traded her comfortable pajama pants and sweatshirt for a pair of low rise, boot cut jeans and a n incredibly worn white tee shirt with red sleeves. She had bought it from a thrift store but it sported the Florida logo; a sun of bright yellow on the right and several rainbow-colored vertical stripes across the chest. 

It was in the process of pulling on that tee shirt, standing in the middle of the wide-open living room with her arms raised and her back and dark pink scantily covered breasts completely exposed when she heard a sharp intake of breath. Cursing vividly she yanked the shirt down the rest of the way only to see Raphael staring back at her, his dark eyes wide and a smirk playing at his mouth. "Uh…hi," he said.

Alex could feel the red rising in her cheeks. "Is there anyway that you didn't just see that?"

"Nope. But-." He took a few steps closer to her. She could see a thin layer of perspiration clinging to his dark skin and for the briefest second rebellious thoughts of what that skin might taste like under her tongue flashed through her mind. She was shocked by them, but not in the least bit appalled. Something about this mutant, his actions, his attitude, drew her like a moth to the flame. "I can act like I didn't see anything if you want."

She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, trying to push the lustful images from her mind. "Really?"

"Sure, why not." A brief smile flashed across his face and she could faintly see a fire leap into his eyes but before she had a chance to determine what it was, the fire was gone, replaced by a teasing glint. "Of course…I'm gonna spend quite some time dreamin' about it." 

She was shocked to say the very least. She didn't know whether to laugh or act incensed by his unexpected statement so she settled for somewhere in-between, ducking her head to hide her flushed cheeks. "Coming from someone who hardly knows me don't you think that's a bit forward?" she asked uneasily, wanting to kick herself for sounding like such a stuffy old woman. 

Raph's grin widened but he also retreated a step, realizing he had crossed a line somewhere. "Yeah, I guess so. I…ah," he stalled, pointing helplessly towards the direction she assumed he had come from, "better get back to training. See ya." He beat a hasty retreat, almost as if he were afraid to stick around much longer.

Alex was only able to tear her gaze from his retreating form until he had disappeared into the darkness of a large tunnel in the far end of the lair. Her heart was fluttering madly, so quickly that Alex feared for a moment as if it might actually take wings and fly away. Just the thought of Raph having dreams about her made her feel warm and oddly pleased. "Oh Alex, what's wrong with you? You don't even know the guy that well," she murmured softly, brushing her long bangs out of her eyes. She needed to get her mind off of him, off of what he had said.     

With a look of determination she tied her long blond hair up, grabbed her CD's and, praying fiercely for a CD player, went into the kitchen to scrounge up something suitable to cook.

*~*

Raph bit back a groan as his body slammed into the unyielding stone wall. 

"Welcome to the floor bro," Michelangelo said amicably. He hadn't bothered getting up from the last time Leo had knocked him down.

Raph sat up, rubbing his shoulder. Previous argument forgotten he glanced ruefully at his younger brother. "Is it just me or is he bein' a bit on the brutal side tonight?"

"He's pissed at himself." Mike tilted his head back, receiving an upside down view of Don and Leo facing off. "He said some stuff to Alex, got on her bad side."

At the mention of her name Raph stilled, a picture of her slender back among other things flashing in his mind. "So ahh…how's she doin'?" he asked, trying to sound uninterested. The last thing he wanted to do was let his brother see how easily the thought of Alex distracted him.  

Mike shrugged. "She's coming around. She's still a little scared but she's got a pretty good reason to-." He cut off in mid-sentence and jerked up. "Dude…do you smell that?"  
  
  


"Mikey-."

"No! Seriously. It smells like-." He stopped and inhaled deeply. "Food! Really good food!"

"Hey! Who's cooking?" Don called out, quickly dodging Leonardo's attack. 

A clear, beautiful soprano voice carried to the training dojo and Mike smiled. "There's a cooking, singing woman in our kitchen. Later guys!" He started to jump up but Raph's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Using Mike as leverage the older turtle pushed himself up and took off for the kitchen. "Come on Mikey! I'll race ya!"

"That's not fair Raph!" the orange masked turtle yelled, stumbling to his feet and running after his brother. 

Don put his _bo_ away and shrugged. "At least they got over that fight they had earlier," he said, leaving Leonardo alone in the dojo. 

Leo slipped his _katana's_ back into their holders on his back and sighed. He hadn't seen Alex since she had snapped at him in the hallway. Something which he had deserved but now he was defiantly a little wary of being around her. 'Maybe I'll just stay here and meditate. I can always get something to eat later,' he thought. Just then the mouth-watering aroma of what Alex was cooking penetrated his senses and his stomach growled loudly. Wary or not, there was no way he could turn down something that smelled so good. Steeling himself for Alex's frosty dismissal or possibly worse, he followed his brothers to the kitchen. 

Raph slowed as he approached the kitchen, silently moving into the doorway and staring in amazement at what he saw. His amusement turned to admiration and he leaned on the doorjamb, content to watch. The kitchen table had been cleared and set for six. The counters were actually clean and bowls of freshly chopped vegetables were arranged neatly on the scrubbed Formica tops. The floor had been swept, dishes had been put away. It didn't even look like the kitchen he remembered. And standing in the middle of it all, her angelic voice accompanying Sheryl Crow as one of her songs blared from the radio was Alex stirring something in a large ceramic bowl. Again he pictured her standing in the living room, her sweet, feminine body exposed to his gaze. God, he'd never seen anything that beautiful before. 

"Dude. I didn't know we had that many dishes!"

Raph turned around to see Mike, Don and Leo crowded behind him, all of them staring into the kitchen in awe.

"I didn't even know that was the color of our counters," Don added to Mike's previous statement in a hushed voice.

Hitting a strong clear high note flawlessly, Alex whirled around and gasped, dropping the spatula she was holding when she saw all four of them standing in the doorway. Color flooded her high cheekbones as she smoothed a hand self-consciously over her hair. "Um…hi," she offered lamely. "I hope you don't mind. I…I guess this is kind of my way of thanking all of you for saving my life and letting me stay with you." She bent to retrieve the spatula and tossed it in the sink. "I know it's not much but it's all I could think of."

"It smells great," Don said, reassuring her flustered nerves. "Did you need any help?"

"Actually-."

Before she could say another word they were already helping, setting food on the table, digging through the fridge for various things and for the most part doing the rest of Alex's work for her.

Turning back to the oven, Alex grabbed a mitt and opened the stainless steal door. The pleasant sound of sizzling met her ears. Now this was what she had been waiting for. It had been years since the last time she'd had nachos like this.

Two large trays sat on the racks under the burning glow of the broiler. Both were laden with golden tipped tortilla chips. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese had been layered on top and was now melted and bubbling. Alex had left the top sheet plain and added peppers, onions and a few jalapenos to the bottom sheet.

"Whadaya got there?"

Alex tried not to smile at the sound of Raphael's rough accent behind her. She pulled the two trays from the oven, setting them on the range to cool then she turned the oven off. "Cheese chips," she answered, putting the mitt back on the counter and facing him with a small smile, trying to remain as calm as possible. At least on the outside. "Technically nacho's but I've never called them that."

Raph stared at her, his dark holding hers. Alex knew right away that she lost. It was happening just like it had last night and moments ago in the living room. Her heart started beating faster, a reaction to his nearness. "You want to try one?" she asked in a voice that did not sound like her own.

He gave her a slow, easy grin. "Sure."

Not sure of what exactly was driving her actions, Alex picked out a chip from the nearest tray and held it to her lips, blowing on it lightly to cool it. His eyes followed the action, hunger blazing to life in their smoldering depths.

"Here," Alex said innocently. She held the cheese-covered morsel up for him. His lips brushed her fingers and she shivered, involuntarily leaning closer to him.

"Let's eat guys. I'm starving!" Mike exclaimed, startling Alex. She quickly backed away from Raph, feeling the heat of mortification creep into her face.

Raph's smirk widened at her obvious discomfort. She actually looked really cute when she was embarrassed. Wanting to see if he could further brighten the adorable blush staining her cheeks he said, laying on a subtle hint of suggestiveness. "So am I Mikey."  

Alex's bright eyes went wide and the faint pink color brightened to a vibrant red. Grabbing a sheet of chips, she dropped her gaze, walking hurriedly to the table. Suppressing his laughter, Raph followed her. It didn't surprise him at all that she sat in between Mike and Don. She probably thought she was safe there. It was going to be fun proving her wrong. He took a seat next to Leonardo-right across from Alex.

When Alex raised her head and saw him he couldn't resist grinning. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. Suddenly her eyes narrowed dangerously and she kicked his shin under the table.

"Ow! Hey, what the hell was that for?"

"Well you keep looking at me like that!" she shot back, "What did you expect me to do?"

Around them the others snickered, wisely choosing to stay out of the fray. Alex glared at Raph, refusing to look away. She felt like she had just signed her own death warrant. Judging from the look on his face maybe she had, but she was not going to let him see that she was scared. He had worked her emotions over enough for one day and she was tired of not being in control of them.

"If you weren't a woman-," he growled threateningly. 

Alex slowly leaned forward. "You'd what? Kick my ass? Go for it Raph."

Splinter chose that moment to enter the kitchen. Hearing the tap of his walking stick on the floor Alex sat back in her chair, crossing her arms smugly over her chest as if to say, "haha you cant threaten me anymore!" To add insult to injury she smiled and made a face at him.

Mike broke down laughing uncontrollably as Don and Leo tried hard not to. Across from her Raph rolled his eyes and made a sound of disgust. Alex almost would have believed that he was actually angry if she hadn't seen the briefest flash of a smile cross his face.

"My…what is the occasion?" Splinter asked as he walked slowly over to the table, moving to the chair at the end between Mike and Leo. 

Mike jumped up, pulling out the chair for his master. "Alex cooked for us. It's her way of saying thank you for saving her."

"That is very kind of you child. I for one could most definitely use a break from left over pizza."

"Usually I'd take offense to that Master," Mike said as he sat back down and eagerly rubbed his hands together, "but this looks way too damn good to complain about."

Alex blushed at the compliment, her blue eyes sparkling with warm pleasure. For the rest of supper she remained quiet, content to play the casual observer. It was part of the reason she had pulled this all together. She'd never actually sat down to a family meal before. She had never had a family to do such things with. The people who had taken hers had sent her to live with a man who had started brutally training her in the art of combat as soon as she was old enough to learn. After that she had been sent to a military type of private school. She was never allowed to socialize with the few other students on the premises and took all of her meals in her room. Thank God she had escaped from all of that.

She listened to the flow of conversation around the table, finding the easygoing banter among the four brothers and their Sensei very amusing. They shared such an amazing bond. Alex hated to admit it but she was slightly jealous. She would have given anything to be close to at lease one person in her life time without having to fear for her own life. Maybe…maybe she still had a chance. She looked around the table at the five mutants, her gaze landing on one in particular. Leonard. If she wanted to be close to any of them she had a few things to fix first.

Gradually the food disappeared and there was nothing left but six well satisfied stomachs. Ales stood and started to clear the table when Splinters hand at her wrist stilled her. "You have cooked. It is only fair that my sons should take care of the cleaning."

"Oh no," Alex protested over the pained groans of her new friends. "I don't mind…really." 

"Nonsense child. Besides…while you were out with Michelangelo I believe the others prepared something for you in your absence." He nodded towards the doorway. "The room across from Michelangelo's. Down the hallway opposite the one Leonardo and Donatello occupy."

She turned surprised eyes on Don, Leo and Raph. "You-."

"Go. We shall clean up in here," Splinter insisted. 

Hesitating for a scant second, Alex nodded and left the kitchen. She went to the living room and grabbed her bad, a thrill of excitement rushing through her. Whatever was in that room could possibly be just an old mattress on the floor for all she cared. What mattered to her was that the three had gone out of their way to make a place for her. It made her feel special and she didn't get a chance to feel like that very often. 

Taking a right down a hallway she had yet to be in, she easily found the room Splinter had been speaking of. She reached around the corner after pushing the door open, furthering her anticipation in her search for the light switch. Finding it, she flicked it up, bathing the room in the soft glow of warm light. Alex took a caution step into the cozy area, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "Oh wow-."

On the floor, tucked in the corner under a massive Pink Floyd poster was a large mattress. The comforter consisted of a king sized, faux mink blanket. It was black with a massive, brightly colored Japanese style dragon slithering up the middle. A collection of pillows, consisting of the same hues as the dragon were thrown carelessly at the head of the makeshift bed. Next to the bed was a small claw footed table and on top of that an ornate antique lamp with a shade of brown, gold and green stained glass. A deep green area rug covered the cold floor. There were two small dressers against the wall, each made of dark cherry oak. On one was a larger version of the bedside lamp and on the other a simple CD player. Posters from old 80's movies ranging from horror to comedy decorated the wall opposite her bed and even a full-length mirror had been added. It was more then she could have ever asked for. 

"Do you like it?"

Alex whirled around to face Donatello and, without thinking, threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "It's perfect!" she released him spun around, once again taking in the view of her new room. "Where did you guys get all this stuff?"

"We have connections," he said, still blushing from her unexpected show of emotions. "The movie posters are Mikey's. He's got a pretty extensive collection so I highly doubt he'll notice them missing."

"And the Pink Floyd?"

"Raph's idea."

"This is really great Donnie. Thank you so much." She smiled and he blushed harder, not used to such attention from a young female. 

"It's no problem. Really. You needed something better then the couch."

Alex laughed softly. "I could have used the couch a few more times. That thing is really comfy. So…um…where's everyone else?"

Don leaned back against the doorjamb. "Raph and Mikey went top side to check out you apartment and make sure no one had tried to break into it."

At the mention of her apartment Alex's shoulders drooped slightly. "I wish I could have gone with them. There's some stiff I'd like to get out of there if I'm going to be here for a while."

"You can go with me and Leo tomorrow night if you want."

"Really? That would be great. Speaking of Leonardo, where is he?"

Don grinned. "Training. Where else?"

"He does that a lot?" Alex asked, turning her head slightly to the side inquisitively.

"Whenever he can."

Alex admired that. By the way Don said it she could tell how much conviction Leo poured into his training. He was strong, strong enough to help save her and she's repaid him by practically biting his head off. Guilt slowly started eating away at her as Michelangelo's words echoed in her mind. _"Trust us."_

"I should go talk to him," she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself. "I think I owe him an apology."

Donatello nodded in understanding. None of them actually knew what Alex and Leonardo had fought about but they could tell by the tension that radiated from their brother that it hadn't been good. "The training _dojo_ is out the hall to the left. You'll find him there."

            Reaching over and taking his hand Alex smiled, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks Donatello." She turned on her heel and went to find the eldest brother.

            In the darkness of the training dojo, seeing by the mere light of a single candle, Leonardo practiced his _katas_, moving with fluid grace through the exercises. He breathed steadily, concentrating only on his movements. Behind him the door slid opened unnoticed.

            Alex stood in the doorway, one hand resting on the solid frame as she watched Leonardo in silent awe. She had never seen someone move so effortlessly. She knew that when she had worked through her own _katas_ she was graceful but her movements were not nearly as perfect as his. It was amazing. So amazing that she regretted having to interrupt him but the need to apologize for her actions was growing stronger and she couldn't ignore it any longer. She felt sick each time she thought about how she had reacted to his words. Taking a hesitant step forward, she carefully closed the door behind her, leaving it open only enough to allow a tiny sliver of light to filter though. "Leonardo?" she called softly. 

            Hearing Alex's voice, Leonardo spun around to face her, his concentration immediately broken. "Did you need something?" he asked cautiously.

            Alex took a deep breath and crossed the room. She stopped in front of him, staring at him with wide, solemn blue eyes. "I…I'm sorry for the way I reacted earlier. I went a bit overboard and let my emotions get the best of me and…and I'm sorry."

            Relief washed over him in great waves, replacing his previous feelings of anxiety. "You don't have to be sorry Alex. I understand why you were upset. I should have chosen my words more carefully. I didn't mean to hurt you."

            "I know that now," she whispered, offering him a small smile. "Listen…um…I don't suppose I could join you?"

            Leonardo stared at the young woman in shock. "You know what I was doing?"

            She nodded. "I used to practice my _katas_ daily when I was in…when I was younger."

            She had slipped and he had easily caught it but he stayed silent, allowing his curiosity to mull over what she had just said. She would tell them when she was ready and he accepted that, knowing it was all he could do really. Michelangelo had told them that she needed to learn that she could trust them. Now, as she stood before him, a fair-haired innocent beauty with a lifetime full of pain, he could see that not only did she need to learn but also she truly wanted to. Deep in those bright blue eyes lay a naked longing to have someone she could depend on, someone she could trust. He smiled tenderly. Well, now she had five someone's. "Sure, you can join me."

The bright smile that spread across her face melted his heart and made him incredibly glad that she had sought him out. Now that everything was behind them they could start again. He motioned for her to stand next to him and she did, her movements almost giddy.

Leo laughed. "How long has it been since you last did this?"

"Oh…years." She stretched her arms high above her head, exposing a flat stomach and wincing when the muscles in her shoulders protested, the aching skin around the gash on her shoulder pulling. "Nothing to strenuous if that's okay. I don't think I've gotten close to full recovery yet."

"You look much better," he admitted, "but we'll keep it simple."

As they began Leonardo watched Alex out of the corner of his eye, moving through the _katas_ methodically. Her movements were stiff at first but as they progressed they became much smoother. The grace in which she moved gave the exercise a beautiful elegance. Her gaze remained focused straight ahead and her breathing was deep and even. He was mesmerized by her, wishing for the briefest second that he could stop and watch her-just for a little bit.

A half and hour through the _katas_ Alex started to tire. One particular motion caused a grimace to flash across her features and Leonardo stopped, coming to her side and resting a hand between her shoulders. "Why don't you go get some sleep Alex," he suggested lightly.

"Okay." She gave him a tired smile. "Thank you Leonardo. And I'm really glad we got this whole mess settled."

He returned her smile. "So am I. Now go…you look like you could use the rest."

Alex was sure he was right. She didn't even want to imagine how she really looked. Probably horrid with massive bags under her eyes-at least that's how she felt. A bit reluctantly she left Leonardo's side, trying not to stumble out of the _dojo_ in her state of complete exhaustion. As she passed by the couch she gave a halfhearted wave to its occupants who were watching television. "Night guys."

Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael returned her wave with distracted ones of their own. "Turning in?" Michelangelo asked.

Alex watched the three for a moment, amazed at how absorbed they were in the movie playing on screen. Allowing her gaze to rest on Raphael a moment longer, she wondered if he was thinking about earlier. Did he feel the same things she felt, the odd sensations, and the nervousness? With a sigh she turned to retire for the evening. "Yeah. See you in the morning."

"Night," the mumbled in unison.

Shoulders shaking with quiet laughter, Alex turned and started in the direction of her room. Once there she stripped down to a pair of short flannel boxers and a loose fitting Hard Rock Café tee shirt. Then she crawled under the thick fur blanket, sighing as the dark fabric slid over her bare skin, enveloping her in sudden warmth. Not long after she was settled, Alex drifted off to sleep. 

It was hours later when she was jolted from her sleep by a nightmare that Danny had found her. He'd discovered where she was hiding, almost killed her new friends and was in the process of dragging her away, kicking and screaming when she had awoke.

Perspiration dotted her forehead She reached quickly for her bedside lamp, filling the room with comforting light. Her wide blue eyes searched the room, looking for the man who had so rudely disturbed her peaceful slumber but there was no trace of him. The only thing stubbornly lingering behind from the nightmare was the constant fear that seemed to plague her no matter how hard she tried to suppress it in the far recesses of her mind. Suddenly she was feeling very, very claustrophobic. She needed to get out of here. She needed to breath.

Alex pushed her blankets back, crawled from her bed and dug through her bag for a sweatshirt. Finding a hooded one of deep green she pulled it on and left the room, not knowing exactly where she was going but knowing it had to be above ground. 

She crept out into the living room, her feet padding lightly across the concrete floor. Rounding the television, she came to an abrupt stop, stifling a gasp when she saw Raphael stretched out on the couch, legs crossed at the ankles, one arm tucked under his head serving as a pillow while the other lay across his stomach, hand resting over his _sai_. Alex knew right away that it would only take the slightest amount of noise to have him on his feet, weapons poised and ready. She held her breath as she moved passed him. Only after she had slipped her shoes on and ascended the short flight of stairs out of the turtle's home did she dare to breath again.

She picked her way through the tunnels, mentally keeping track of every turn, every tunnel so that she would easily find her way back. "How the hell am I supposed to get out of here?" she muttered as she came around the corner.

"You might want to try the manhole at the end of the tunnel," a rough male voice called out from the darkness.

Alex's heart leapt into her throat and a cold wave of fear swept through her. She waited, body tensed for the coming attack but nothing happened. Well, nothing she expected to. Somewhere in the darkness came a short scrapping noise. The faint smell of sulfur carried to her nose as a small flame briefly illuminated the darkness, casing dancing shadows along curved walls and exposing the ruggedly handsome profile of Casey Jones several feet away. Alex breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Jesus Casey, you scared the hell out of me." 

He grinned, holding the match he had lit to the top of a cigarette that dangled from his lips. After taking a long drag he tossed the match aside, throwing them back into darkness. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." She moved towards him, her eyes adjusting gradually to the dark. "So what are you doing here?" she asked, leaning against the wall next to him.

He looked down at her, his deep hazel eyes regarding her warmly. "I'm here to ensure your safety babe." His grin widened when she laughed. "And ah…me and April got into it again."

"Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah. She's a tough woman to make angry but when you do-." He let the sentence hang; figuring Alex was a bright enough girl to guess the rest on her own. Silence fell. Casey took another drag of his cigarette. 

"Hey," Alex said, breaking the silence. "Could I…um…could I-."

Casey chuckled softly as he reached into the pocket of his loose fitting jeans and withdrew a pack of cigarettes. Flipping the top up, he extended it to Alex and, after hesitating for a brief second, gingerly took on, allowing him to light it for her. "Beautiful woman like you smokes, huh?" he asked, watching her as she dropped her head back, closed her vivid blue eyes and exhaled a lazy cloud of opaque blue smoke. 

"No," she replied after a while, once again opening her eyes. "I actually quit years ago. Apparently it's very bad for you."

"No kidding?!"

Alex laughed, dropping her gaze to the floor. She felt so foolish for falling back on an old habit in hopes that it would erase some of the stress, some of the pain. 

"Didn't work, did it?" Casey asked understandingly. 

She shook her head. Of course it hadn't worked. Nothing worked.

"What are you doin' up here anyway doll? It's kinda late."

Alex shuddered as her mind pulled up lingering images of the nightmare that had been responsible for her appearance in the sewers. "I…I couldn't sleep. I needed to get some air."

His smile was perceptive as he pointed down the sewer tunnel with a jerk of his thumb. "All the way down. There's a ladder leading topside, into an alley. On the right you're gonna see a fire escape. Take that up to the top."  

Resisting the urge to hug the taller man, Alex pushed away from the wall. "Thanks Casey." She flicked her cigarette carelessly aside and started for the end of the tunnel. "Oh yeah!" She turned on her heel, once again facing Casey. "Thank you for bringing my CD's down."

"No problem," Casey said, watching her as she disappeared up the ladder. He tilted his head slightly to the side, seeing no harm in innocently checking out Alex's shapely legs and the gentle flare of her hips. "Man…if I was still single-," he murmured appreciatively, leaning back against the cold, damp wall and took another long drag of his cigarette.

"Gross habit Case."

The dark haired man grinned unrepentantly, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. Quittin' a month ago doesn't really give you a right to comment shell boy."

Out of the darkness stepped Raphael, smirk in place, absently twirling a _sai_ in his right hand. To the casual observer he may have looked calm and relaxed but to a long time friend it was the complete opposite. Casey could see the trace of anxiety well hidden in his friend's eyes and knew immediately what he was looking for. With a nod of his head in the direction Alex had just disappeared he said. "She's up top…building on the right."

"She went topside alone?"

"Cool it Raph. I spent the last few hours scanning everything within six blocks of this place. She's safe."

Raphael slowly relaxed, slipping his _sai_ back into his belt as he felt the tension gradually seep away. He couldn't believe how worried he had been. He hardly even knew Alex ye he was following her around, making sure she was safe. It was so unlike him. He couldn't even remember exactly why he had got up from sleeping when she passed by him. Sleep at three in the morning sounded like a much better idea then chasing some female around. Unless, of course you had seen that female half dressed and standing in your living room as if she owned it.  

"You going to go after her?"

He thought about it for a minute. Why would he go after her? _'Because she's_ _beautiful. Because you're interested in her. Because you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if something happened to her_ his mind silently ticked off. Sighing, he gave his old friend a tired grin. "Later Case."

"You like her, don't ya?"

His only response came in the form of a simple shrug then Raphael disappeared up the ladder, leaving Casey alone in the dark tunnels of the New York sewer system.

It took him minutes to get to the top of the building using the old fire escape. Once there he searched the rooftop for Alex, finding her on the opposite side. Her back was facing him, her long blond unbound hair blowing in the diminutive breeze. "Alex," he started after taking several steps towards her.

She raised a tapered finger, motioning for him to be silent. "Hang on." A second later a jagged electric blue bolt of lighting off in the distance illuminated the sky. High above storm clouds hovered over the city, moving ever so slowly like a ghoul waiting for just the right moment to strike it's unsuspecting pray. The smell of rain permeated the air. 

Raphael approached the young woman cautiously. He didn't want to crowd her or scare her off, even after what she had pulled at supper. In truth, he actually admired her spunk. Sure his leg still stung slightly but maybe he had deserved it, a fact of which he would _never_ tell anyone.

"Did you know lightning travels from the ground up?" came her soft questioning voice, washing over his senses like a warm summer breeze. 

He smiled slightly. "Nope, never knew that." He came up behind her. "Why did you come up here?"

She turned her head to the side, allowing him a view of her profile. "I…I had a bad dream." She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, releasing a humorless laugh. "It's amazing isn't it? That I can actually tell my nightmares from my life? Oh god…I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said-." She hung her head as if she were ashamed of the words that had escaped her full lips. "I'm just tired."

Raphael knew she hadn't meant sleepy tired. No, she was tired of everything. The mysterious life none of them knew a thing about, the running…the fear. He could remember the many times he had felt like that. He could relate to what she was going through. Not entirely but he figured if he could just relate a little it would matter. 

"Why did you follow me?" she asked, curious eyes staring at him as she turned around. 

"I-," he stammered, searching for the words. Her blue eyes had thrown him and he was having difficulties remembering exactly why he was there. "Because I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Define okay," she muttered sarcastically. Her arms unwound from around her and she took another step towards him. Whether she did it intentionally or not he wasn't sure but his body immediately responded to it, his heart hammering in his chest, his breathing coming out slightly uneven. "Sometimes I wonder if all of this is just some huge nightmare that I'll eventually wake up from. That's what it feels like. I try to convince myself that it's not real and…jeez, what the hell is wrong with me." She retreated that step she had taken, pulling away from him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be unloading all of this on you. I don't even know you that well. I'm turning into one of those people that talk as long as there's someone to listen."

"Hey Alex." This time he closed the distance between them, placing strong hands on her shoulders, ignoring the sudden desire that flared up within him. "It's gonna get better okay?"

She cocked her head to the side, her blue eyes filled with such weary sadness. "Can you promise that though?"

He sighed. "No, I can't. But I can damn well try and make it better. Unless you're gonna try stopping me with another kick to the shin." 

She laughed softly. "Sorry about that."

"No you're not," he said, smirking. "How about we go back down before we both get soaked? It doesn't look like the storms gonna hold off for long."

She agreed and in silence they made their way back down to the alley and through the manhole. Alex only made it a few steps before stumbling, too tired to hold herself up straight. "Come here," Raphael murmured, carefully picking her up and cradling her slim body in his arms. Warning signals went off in his head. These too he tried diligently to ignore, concentrating only on getting her back to her warm bed where she could get some much needed sleep. He fought with his unruly emotions as he approached her door, placing the half asleep Alex on her own two feet. "Get some rest okay? I'll make sure no one bothers ya in the morning so you can sleep in."

She smiled up at him, her gorgeous blue eyes clouded with what he assumed was sleep. "Thank you Raphael," she whispered. Her hand came up, resting lightly on his chest and he knew right away that he had mistakenly judged that look in her eyes. His heart slammed almost painfully against his ribs as she leaned up and fearlessly brushed her lips across his in a gentle, butterfly soft kiss. "Goodnight." She smiled once more, looking up at him through long sooty lashes then she moved back and closed the door.

 A million excuses for her sudden and unpredictable action leapt into his mind. She was tired, she was delusional, and she was probably over half asleep when she-. The excuses didn't work though. One prevailing though dominated his mind and left him shaken more then he cared to admit. She had kissed him-and she had meant to do it. With a shaky sigh he ran a hand over his face and quickly retreated to his own room where he could deal with these new, foreign emotions and hopefully be able to figure out how the hell all of this had happened. And why he suddenly felt as if his entire world had just been turned upside-down on him.


	5. Chapter 4

**Authors Notes:** Hi!! I want to thank all of you for letting me know I'm not doing anything wrong! You don't know how much of a relief that is! And I'm beyond glad that you're all enjoying this. Um…lemme see…who to thank. I have to go back to the beginning don't I? Aw, crappy! Lol, just kidding! First of all to those of you who reviewed the prologue, thanks a ton. That was written on a whim because I believe all good stories have to have an in depth beginning to give you some insight into the situation. Am I right? I'm just glad it grabbed your attention. 

Ramica, thanks a bunch for reviewing! I'm still faithfully reading and falling for your fics and am beyond grateful that you wrote a sequel to Enemy.

Punker, or April…thank you for being the first to tell me I wasn't doing anything wrong. It's exactly what I needed to put my pouting aside! And yes…I was pouting.

Wanderer…* Pauses in her choking you and smiles * Wit, drama and emotion huh? Well…aren't you a charmer! I already told you not to expect my usual thickly applied romance. Although it will be there (how could it not) its going to take time!

Jo Dawn, Devine and meathead…thank you all for your reviews as well. It's good to know people are reading this and liking what they see. Hell…I'm just like any other writer out there who needs to know things are being appreciated or at least criticized. Am I done writing my book of thanks? Yes!! On with the story.

**Disclaimer: ** The usual applies. I own nothing except Alex! 

****

**Chapter Three**

Raphael awoke the next morning very much against his own will. The loud, impatient knock at his door interrupted the great dream he was having and with lingering images of Alex, smiling up at him with those soft blue eyes he pushed himself up and rubbed the back of his neck, calling out impatiently for whoever it was to enter. 

            Michelangelo's head peeked through the door once it was open and he gave his older brother a tired smile. "Mornin' Raph. Ready for some training?"

            "Training?!" he said on a yawn. "You've got to be kidding me."

            "Afraid not. Leo says we've got to be ready and…well," he shrugged helplessly. "Sensei agrees with him."

            Cursing under his breath as he pushed the covers aside, Raph climbed out of bed, slipped his _sais_ into his belt and joined Mike, tying his red mask in a firm knot at the back of his head as they walked. "I bet we don't even get breakfast, do we?" he asked irritably. 

            Mile's smile was half hearted. "If you were up at the ass crack of dawn like some people-," he muttered, not bothering to finish the sentence or to hide the fact that he too had missed breakfast and was none too happy about it.

            They passed by Alex's door and Mike stopped, raising a hand to knock. Raph's hand closed around his wrist, stopping him from doing so. "Let her sleep."

            "I was just gonna let her know where we were."

            "She'll figure it out Mikey." He jerked his head slightly to the side. "Lets go before Leo hunts us down okay?" 

            Mike gave the door one last look and then nodded reluctantly, following his brother down the hallway to the training dojo. Donatello and Leonardo were already there, facing off and preparing to go at it as Splinter watched on from a large pillow in the corner. The two bowed to each other then a split second later the metal blade of Leonardo's _katana_ cracked against the wood of Donatello's _bo._

            "We should probably stay out of this one huh?" Mike remarked slyly. 

            Raph chuckled. "I'm with you bro."

            They sat on the ground, leaning back against the hard wall and watching their two brothers spar. The two were well matched so their brothers knew they had plenty of time to relax. For Raph it was time to let his mind wander back to the beautiful female sleeping in the room down the hall from his. His thoughts hadn't been far from her anyway. After last night she was all he could really think of. She was such a mystery to him, one he wanted to understand but for the first time in his life was willing to wait it out. Of course he expected impatience to sink in any time now. It usually did. 

            He could still remember the exact look in her eyes when they had been standing on the roof together. There was such sadness written in their depths and such desperation that it made his heart twist uncomfortably just thinking about it. And the one thing he couldn't get for the life of him was why the hell he wanted to be the one to erase that sadness. She was just a girl…and a human girl at that. What reason did he have to help her? His answer came in the form of images from his dreams. Alex standing in the darkness, looking so lost and alone, confiding in him, her gorgeous eyes filled with unshed tears, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she kissed him into mindless oblivion. 

            Raph stifled a groan as he pulled his knee up and rested his forehead on it. God damn it that woman was going to haunt him. 

            "Hey," Michelangelo said, jabbing him lightly in the arm with his elbow. "We're up."

            The older turtle raised his head. "Good," he muttered, eager to do anything that would stop thoughts of her and the things she could do to him. And of course when it came to him and his problems, fighting was always the answer.

            *~*~*

            Hours later Alex awoke, stretching sleepily, each aching muscle pulling. When she didn't feel the immediate ache of the lovely laceration on her neck she grinned, sparing only a brief moment to be glad that she was what she was. She recovered slightly faster than most humans, which was a plus. But that was pretty much the only upside. 

            As that brief moment passed another fact stubbornly surfaced in her mind, forcing her to remember. She closed her eyes again, turning over and groaning into one of her many pillows. God, she had kissed Raphael! What had she been thinking? How could she do something like that? "Ugh, he probably thinks I'm just this insane, desperate, totally messed up person," she moaned, pushing the ends of the pillow against her ears as if she could shut out all of the thoughts bombarding her fully alert mind. But as those thoughts kept coming, ruthlessly forcing her to remember her wonton act, another enforced itself to be recognized. True, she had kissed him but…he hadn't stopped her. In fact, if she remembered correctly he hadn't even tried. Maybe he had liked it…as much as she had. 

            "Well, he's never going to know how much you liked it dope," she muttered angrily to herself, flipping over once again and staring up at the ceiling. "Just act like nothing happened." Yes, that was it. She would treat it as if it were something she had never done. Knowing Raph, even for the short time she had, he would probably do the same. 

            Alex lifted a hand unconsciously brushing her nails against the irritated skin around her wound. What if he had liked it though? She had to admit it had been a nice kiss. His lips had been firm yet yielding at the same time. They were…perfect. A tingling shiver rushed down her spine and a tiny smile curved her lips. Okay, so Raphael intrigued her. That wasn't a bad thing. She would only even admit that there was a tiny amount of attraction there-but only to herself. 

            Now itching at the reddening skin, Alex frowned. So the plan was to act like nothing happened. She could do that. How hard could it be? Her frowned deepened and she looked down at where her hand was itching determinedly at her skin. "What the-?" A burning itch had started around her wound and was growing more irritated by the second. It was healing. "Damn it," Alex swore, jumping up and making a desperate grab for some thing to cover up with. What she ended up with was a slightly over sized red and navy striped men's dress shirt that covered her legs to mid thigh, completely hiding the short boxers she was wearing. 

            With her hideously long wound itching like mad, she threw her bedroom door open and scampered barefoot into the hallway, hastily buttoning up the front of her shirt. "Donnie, Donnie, Donnie," she started yelping as soon as the living room came into view, desperate for someone to help alleviate the unbearable itching.

            Sitting on the couch and reading the paper as Leonardo watched television next to him, Don's heart leapt into his throat when he heard the pleading female voice calling out his name. "Alex?! What's wrong?" he asked, at his feet only seconds after Leo. 

            The young woman came skipping into the room, a pained expression on her beautiful face and her long blond hair hanging in waves over her shoulders. "Help me! It itches like freakin' crazy!" 

            Noting the hand that covered her chest, twitching as if it wanted to move somewhere, Don realized what she was talking about. "Come on," he said, smiling as he crossed the room and led her down the hallway to the bathroom. "It's healing already huh?"

            "Yes, and it feels great," Alex remarked bitterly, giving in to the temptation to itch. 

            Don laughed softly, allowing her to enter the bathroom before him and then opening the mirrored cabinet. "That's pretty amazing considering you only got it not even two days ago," he observed as he searched through the cabinets contents. "Here we go." Untwisting the top to an unused tube of topical Benedryl he faced Alex. She unbuttoned the top two buttons on her shirt and while holding one side in place, pulled the other aside so that he could get to the cut. Chuckling at her enraptured sigh once the cool cream hit her irritated skin, he applied it carefully, avoiding the cut and rubbing it into the red skin around it. "Better?" he asked once he was finished.

            "God yes!" She buttoned up her shirt, trying to keep the fabric from rubbing off the cream as best she could. "Thank you so much Donnie." 

            "No problem. Glad I could help."

            They went back to the living room and after thanking Don once again and saying hi to Leo, Alex veered off in the direction of the kitchen, her stomach demanding sustenance. As soon as she walked through the doorway she knew it was a bad idea. Michelangelo was at the stove cooking something that smelled absolutely wonderful and Raphael was sitting at the kitchen table. He looked up when she entered. The minute their eyes met the tension in the room rose dramatically. "Hey," he said softly.

            Alex tried to smile through her embarrassment. 'Act like nothing happened, act like nothing happened,' the mantra repeated itself over and over again in her head. "Hi," she replied. An uncomfortable stillness penetrated the air, punctuated by the sound of bacon sizzling as Mike dropped it into an electric skillet on the counter. Alex lifted a slightly trembling hand to her arm, her mind switching into overhaul and throwing several tension breaking lines at her, none of which sounded all that great. Thankfully she didn't have to worry about breaking the silence. Mike took care of it for her by asking her how she liked her eggs.

            Alex smiled at him, feeling a telltale heat creep into her cheeks like the heated caress of an unseen lover. "Um…scrambled with cheese and a little garlic," she responded after a moments pause. 

            He threw Raph a funny look, which went unnoticed and then turned that same look on her. "Really," he said in a slow drawn out way. "That's exactly how Raph likes his. Huh." He went back to his cooking. "What kind of cheese did you guys want?"

            "Cheddar," the replied in unison.   

            Again they were shot that funny look. "Oookay then."

            Smiling, Raph nodded to one of the other chairs at the table. "You can sit down Alex. I ain't gonna bite ya."

            The heat infusing her cheeks intensified to the point of almost unbearable but still she held her head high and took a seat across from him.

            Raphael watched her progress out of the corner of his eye, having no desire to cause her further embarrassment by openly staring at her. She looked sexy and at the same time adorable in the too short boxers and an overly large stripped man's dress shirt. Her dark blond hair was slightly tousled, something of which she attempted to rectify as she sat quietly, her eyes occasionally drifting to where Mike was cooking. Raph was tempted to tell her to stop. For one, her hair was definitely not cooperating with her and two; the disheveled look worked for her. His gaze dropped from her hair to her lips and the jittery feeling from last night returned, settling like a rock in the pit of his stomach. Had she thought about that kiss at all? From the way she was avoiding making direct eye contact with him he was going to have to guess she had. So how did she feel about it then? Had she liked it? Was she as confused about what to do now as he was? All good questions that he had every intention of asking…when he got the guts to.

            "Here ya guys go!" Mike said cheerfully, setting down two plates piled with golden yellow scrambled eggs and two pieces of toast. "I'm gonna go see if Donnie and Leo want some breakfast. Be right back."

            He disappeared, leaving Alex and Raph alone. Keeping with the flow of conversation, which was non-existent at the moment, Raphael started to heap his eggs onto his toast, sparing another quick glance at Alex in the process only to see that she was doing the same thing. "Alright," he muttered with a smile, "knock it off."

            "What?" Alex looked up. Her already pink cheeks flared bright red when she saw what he was doing and she quickly dumped the eggs from her toast, uttering what he could barley make out as an apology.

            He shook his head. This was getting ridiculous. "Alex," he started, the questions he had thought of earlier resurfacing once again and demanding that he voice them. She raised her guarded eyes to meet his slowly, almost as if she were afraid to do so. "Listen. About last night-." And that's where the questioning stopped. His three brothers noisily entered the kitchen and Alex turned away from him. Biting back an exasperated sigh as well as a few choice words, he returned to the food cooling in front of him.

            "So Alex," Don started as he took a seat next to her, Leo sitting down next to Raphael. "I talked to Leo about you coming with us tonight."

            She immediately perked up, her vibrant blue eyes shooting to Leo.

            "It's fine with me as long as you stay close," the blue masked turtle said in his "fatherly" voice, answering the unspoken question that may as well have been written all over her face.

            "I will," she said eagerly. She sounded like a child who had just been granted a trip to the zoo so long as she behaved herself. "I promise."

            "We'll leave later tonight then, around 9:30. Is that okay?"

            Alex nodded. An overjoyed smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Fine by me. And thank you Leo."

            The eldest turtle blushed at the shortened us of his name. It was the first time she had ever called him that and he felt that, in a way, she also did it to let him know that things really were okay between them now and the argument had been forgotten. "No problem Alex," he replied kindly before digging into the plate of food Michelangelo had set before him.

            *~*~*

            Later that evening Alex sat on the ground at the small, battered coffee table in the living room. Across from her on the couch, swearing under his breath was Michelangelo. "Ya know, I think there's a reason they recommend that you play with more then two people in this game," he muttered as he collected Uno cards from a deck in the middle of the table, searching for either a blue card or a six-or possibly something else that would save his ass at the moment. "There!" He threw that something else, a wild card with a picture of four tiny cards in the upper corner, on top of the scattered pile of cards next to their neat deck. "Draw four babe!" Mike cried triumphantly.

            Laughing, Alex drew four to add to her own meager pile. "If you don't start laying more down soon we're not going to have anything left to play with hun. What color?"

            He made a big show out of checking his cards, which he had given up on actually holding and separated into four piles, obviously by color. "Lets go for green." 

            Alex's lips curved in a wicked smirk. "I was really hoping you'd say that." She started laying down cards. "Skip, reverse, skip, skip." The last card she slapped down with a laugh. "And draw two!"

            "Damn! I was wondering where the hell all those were!"

            Alex giggled as Mike drew two, grumbling the entire time. "You are going to loose Mikey. You know that right?"

            "Hey Alex, you ready to go?"

            She looked up, watching Leon and Don enter the room in matching trench coats and fedoras. "Only if I get to wear one of those snazzy hats," she said, smiling at the two. 

            Dona laughed shortly. "Sure."

            "Alright then. I'm ready." She started to get up laying her cards face down on the table.

            "What? You're quitting?!" Mike yelped indignantly. 

            "Mikey you knew I was going with Donnie and Leo tonight." 

            "I can't believe you're quitting!" he went on as if she hadn't said a thing. "Do you have any idea what I do to quitters?"

            Alex released a shriek as his hand shot forward, grabbed her wrist and drug her across the table. Cards scattered across the table and onto the floor and Alex landed in a laughing heap in Michelangelo's lap. "Mikey, what-."

            "I'll show you! No one quits on the God of UNO!"

            Alex's laughter turned hysterical as he dug his fingers lightly into her sides and began tickling her. "Mikey NO!" she gasped, writhing in his lap in a desperate attempt to free herself. 

            "What's wrong Alex?" he asked innocently, his voice bubbling with suppressed laughter. "Ya ticklish?"

            She was laughing so hard by now that tears were forming in her eyes and trickling down her cheeks. Even if she wanted to provide him with an answer there was no possible way she could. 

            "Mikey, come on," Don said, smiling at the two. "Let her go."

            "Yeah, we're already late on time as it is here." Leo added, trying to look stern and failing. Alex's laughter was just too infectious.

            Finally Mike released her. After taking a few deep breaths to compose herself Alex sat up and dashed the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "We'll have a rematch later tonight when I get back, okay?" She stood and leaned over, placing a light kiss on his cheek. "I'll probably still kick your ass though."

            "We'll see about that," he said, grinning widely. "You guys be careful."

            "We will Mikey. See you later," Don assured him as he placed a hand at the small of Alex's back and led her out of the lair. Following behind, Leo picked up Raph's fedora from the table against the wall and plopped it down on Alex's head. 

            Moving into the darkness of the damp tunnels, the two mutants slipped into a state of alert awareness. They opened their senses to everything around them, every sound, every movement however slight it may be. 

            Between them, Alex smiled. "You two just went all stealth mode on me, didn't you?" she asked, only half joking.

            "When you're us you can never be too careful," Don muttered dryly.

            "And," Leo spoke up, keeping his voice low, "it never hurts to exercise a little extra caution when you're dealing with an enemy and you have something they want."

            Alex shuddered, feeling a sudden chill sweep over her. Just thinking about Danny and his pathetic followers made her feel cold and hollow. They were sick, sadistic bastards and she never wanted to lay eyes on them again. She also seriously doubted she was free of them. Danny never had been the giving up type. Wrapping her arms around herself, she methodically rubbed her biceps and tried to think of something else. Only one other thing came to mind and as much as she wanted to avoid thinking about Raph he was a welcome change when compared to Danny. As soon as the thought of the turtle in red entered her mind the chill evaporated, replaced by aching warmth that started in her stomach and unfurled languidly through her entire body. 

What was it about him?  One minute he could make her so angry at his arrogance and the next he could be so understanding and kind. The main problem was she liked his attitude-all of them. She like that he could frustrate her so much and make her so confused. She liked that he could make her feel things she had only ever felt in moderation before. Feelings that made her heart flutter and her stomach turn into a mass of butterflies. She liked what he made her feel. She liked…him. As unexpected as it was she couldn't deny that she had feelings for him. Whenever he spoke to her or touched her something would flare to life within her. The feeling was foreign and she didn't have a name for it yet but she was really hoping that one day she would.

            "Alex, we're here," Leo called, dragging her from the depths of her troubled thoughts. She blinked a few times, surprised to see a ladder in front of her. Don was already making his way up the corroded iron rungs. She must have been thinking quite hard to not even realize how far they'd walked.

            "Its clear Leo," Don quietly called down, his form obscuring the light that shone through the manhole. 

            Leo motioned for Alex to go first and she did so, allowing Don to help her out of the dark sewers and into an only slightly brighter alley way.

            Pulling something from his belt, Don held out a set of keys. "These, I believe, belong to you."

            "Thanks," Alex took the keys, sliding the ring onto her fingers as she listened to the soft jingle jangle of the metal objects. "Right through the front door then?"

            "That's what we've been doing. No one really seems to notice."

            "That's because a majority of the people in this building are either old or new parents. They all go to bed early."

            Leo joined them and after another quick look around they entered the building and went up a narrow staircase to the seventh floor to where Alex resided in her cozy one bedroom. "I'd say welcome to my home…but you guys have already been here, haven't you?" she asked conversationally while working the key into the lock and opening the door to her apartment that she had not seen in three days.

            "Yup," Dona answered. "Nice place by the way."

            "Thanks." She flipped on the light switch, bathing the comfortable confines of her living room in soft white light. Everything was just the way she had left it. Her one piece of living room furniture, an overstuffed burgundy and cream-colored couch faced her modest television and the wide window that took up much of the east wall across from them. Below the window was her large artificial plant, used only for the sole purpose of decoration. Her artwork, abstract oil pieces she had done here and there when inspiration struck, still graced the walls, their deep colors adding warmth to the room and brining out the dark stain of the hardwood floors. 

            A hand on her shoulder caused her to turn and she faced Leo with a sad smile. "I really wish I could take it all."

            The smile he returned was one of understanding. "I know. You'll be able to come back once we know you're safe. For now just grab what you need. Oh, and Casey put your mail on the table."

            With a slight nod Alex moved to the table that sat against the wall next to the doorway. She shuffled through the stack of envelopes. As she did that Don and Leo walked slowly around the apartment, checking every possible hiding spot before moving into the windows and watching the activity taking place on the streets below. Alex separated bills from junk mail and took the important mail with her to he bedroom. She tossed it on the thick violet and green quilt that covered her simple full sized bed and went to her closet. She picked out a large duffle bag from amid the piles of clean laundry she had yet to hang up or put away. That too went on the bed, as did every piece of clothing picked up off the floor or pulled from a hanger. Next it was onto her underwear drawer. Sighing joyously she grabbed handfuls of the lacy and silken under garments from the top dresser drawer, shoving them into a side pocket of her bag. Casey Jones was a great guy and all but he sure needed to rethink his idea of what clothing was a necessity when it came to packing for a woman. She had been on one pair for three days now and had on several occasions considered going commando.

            Checking over her shoulder to make sure Leo and Don were well out of sight, Alex slipped out of her jeans, changed underwear and pulled them back on, stumbling in her efforts to be quick. With that done she went to her adjoining bathroom and grabbed a few more things. Once everything was safely packed away she scanned the room once more just for good measure and turned to leave when something caught her eye. A black box sitting on the top shelf of her closet. The PS2 she had bought to give to Danny for his birthday. What was she going to do with it now? She'd already taken it for a test drive and beaten the game she'd purchased for herself, Final Fantasy X. But now it was just sitting there, collecting dust. Who would really appreciate a PS2? Voices carried to her from the living room and she smiled. The guys would love a PS2! 

Running to the closet she pulled the sleek box from the shelf and the one other game she had bought with it, the epitome of a man's game. Those found a place among the clothing and other items in the duffle bag. It was noticeably heavier; she though as she adjusted the strap to rest comfortably over her shoulder, but it was going to be worth the burden just to see the looks on her new friend's faces. Humming softly she turned out the lights and shut the door behind her, feeling only the slightest twinge of melancholia when the door clicked shut with a note of finality. One day she would be able to come home-she hoped.

"Ready to go?" Leo asked as she entered the now dark living room. They had shut the lights off, an action that spoke volumes of how uncomfortable they were being out of their element. Alex could sympathize seeing as how she had been in that same position not so long ago. "Yeah, I'm ready," she said. 

Leaving the apartment they returned to the alley and descended into the sewers once more. The two brothers remained silent as they walked. The only words spoken were when Don had offered to carry her bag for her, but nothing after that. And that uneasy silence was starting to get to Alex. "So how tight are you guys wound right now?" she asked after a while. They both gave her confused looks that she could barley make out through the darkness and she sighed loudly. "I'm drowning in the tension here guys! Come on. Loosen up a little. You're starting to make me nervous."

Leonardo grinned sheepishly but the stress remained in the ridged set of his shoulders. "Sorry. I just can't shake the feeling that we were being watched up there." 

"I know what you mean," Don agreed quietly. His hands clasped and unclasped at his sides. It was almost as if he was holding himself back from grabbing the _bo_ secured to his back. Apprehension stole over Alex as she realized that Leo was doing much the same thing. Latching on to both of their arms she pulled them close. "You…you don't think we're being followed do you?"

There was a moment of silence in which neither of them answered, only making the tension worse then it already was. Finally Leo spoke. "No. I don't think so," he said at length, "but it's better to be prepared, you know?"

Although his excuse provided a small amount of comfort, Alex still shot him a skeptical look. She wasn't completely assured. They fell into silence again. This time it didn't end until they reached the safety of the turtle's lair.

The first one to greet them when they came down the short flight of stairs was Michelangelo. "Hey!" He vaulted over the back of the couch and started towards them. "Did ya bring me something nice?"

Alex smiled at him, glad to have her mind on something either then being followed. "Actually, I did."

Mike's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yup!" Alex looked back at Don, pulling the fedora off her head and smoothing her hair back. "Donnie, can I have my bag please? Oh, and will you guys go stand with Mikey?"

The purple masked turtle handed her the duffle bag as he passed and she set it on the floor at her feet. Giving the guys a quick, secretive grin, she knelt down and started unzipping her bag. As she did this she missed Raphael's silent entrance. She also missed the look that he shared with Leo before nodding and disappearing again. "Alright guys, are you ready for this?" she asked, looking up at the three turtles leaning against the couch. "Or should we wait for Raph to get here?"

"Hell no!" Mike immediately protested. "Bring on the presents!" 

"As much as I hate to do this, I agree with Michelangelo," Leo said. "Raph usually stays out pretty late anyway. I'm sure he wont mind."

Alex started pulling the PS2 box slowly from her bag. "Oookay. If you say so." Three sets of eyes went wide as she held the PS2 up in front of her, a satisfied smile curving her lips. "Happy early birthdays!"

"No way!" Mike breathed.

"I was going to give it to my ex but he tried to kill me. You know how it goes." She shrugged, trying not to act as if the thought of Danny bothered her. "But anyway, it's yours now."

Mike crossed the room to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Alex, you are the coolest." The hug of course didn't last long. She hadn't expected it to. One minute he was there and the next he was with his brothers in front of the television, trying to hook up the PS2. She watched them with a certain amount of amusement. It was always fun to see grown men, or mutants in this case, reduced to children by a new toy. She just wished Raph could have been there for hit. He probably would have loved the game she had bought to go with it. 

With a sigh she stood, stretching her arms over her head. As she dropped them back to her sides a hand closed around her wrist and pulled her arm behind her. She was on the verge of telling Raph to knock it off when she realized two things. The first was that the hand holding her wrist did not have three fingers, it had five. The second realization was-whoever had her was not Raph and any thoughts of it possibly being Casey vanished when the unknown person yanked her arm up, stopping just short of snapping it. The agonized scream that tore from her throat was cut off by the other hand but not before her friends had heard it.

Leo, Don and Mike whipped around, drawing their weapons with amazing speed. As they did this, the hand holding Alex's wrist fell away and returned with a blade, pressing it to her throat. Wild fear slammed into her with the force of a train. "One move and she dies," a young voice warned.

"Sorry kid. I don't buy that," Mike said grinning menacingly and taking a step forward. "Bringing your lame ass leader back isn't going to work without her."

The young man laughed callously, pressing the blade of his _katana_ harder against Alex's throat and drawing forth the tiniest trickle of blood. "I was only sent to find her. I could care less whether she lives or dies."

That was enough to force Mike to retreat. Alex stared at her friend with wide, pleading eyes even though she knew they wouldn't do anything. They had no desire to see her dead.

"What do you want?" Don demanded through clenched teeth.

"I bring you a message."

"Holy shit…a message. I didn't see that one coming," Mike remarked dryly. 

The man tilted the blade and Alex whimpered as it bit further into her skin. "I'd keep quite if I were you freak. Now that I know your whereabouts there will be no stopping us. Dan intends on having this woman back and he will get what he wants. She is no longer safe here." He started backing up towards the entrance, dragging Alex with him. He may have been daring but he was not foolish enough to stick around and face the mutants on his own. "When I return I will not be alone and we will…take the girl."

"Do me a favor buddy," Leo spoke up, a cruel grin forming on his lips. "Try and remember that there's four of us, not three."

The young foot ninja halted in his cowardly escape. "Wha-," his voice ended in a guttural moan accompanied by a dull thud as if something had struck him. When the mans grip loosened on Alex and the blade fell harmlessly away from her neck, she yanked free with a desperate cry, stumbling forward into Michelangelo's waiting arms. 

"Hey, it's okay babe," he whispered, brushing a hand over her hair as she trembled against him. "Bad guys gone. You're okay."

Alex nodded wordlessly against his shoulder. She slowed her breathing, forcing her shot nerves to calm themselves. Behind her she could hear Leonardo speaking in hushed tones. The voice that responded to his was no doubt Raphael's and although it was just as low as his brother's Alex could make out what he was saying and could tell he was far from happy.

"What was I supposed to do Leo?" he was asking. "Remember what happened last time one of those guys found us? I don't know about you but I sure as hell don't want to go through that again."

"You have a point," Leo reluctantly admitted. "But Raph-."

"He could have killed her Leo."

A shiver of foreboding skirted its way up Alex's spine as she listed to the exchange. Something wasn't right. She lifted her head and saw that Mike was looking at something behind her, the expression on his face one of mingled fear and sickness.   

Confused, she turned in his loose embrace to see what exactly was going on. Leonardo and Raphael were standing across from each other, each of them looking slightly lost. Her gaze fell to what lay between them and her heart lurched painfully as the air left her body in a shuddering gasp. Sprawled on the floor, his left arm twisted at an odd angle, was the Foot ninja. Imbedded in his back clear to the hilt, each of the three deadly prongs buried in the man's flesh, was Raphael's _sai._

Hearing her, Raph lifted his head and their eyes met across the room. Whatever fear or regret lingered in his onyx eyes instantly disappeared, replaced by cold detachment. "Did you want the guy to kill you?" he asked evenly.

Alex shook her head. "N-no."

He looked like he wanted to say more but he didn't. Instead he bent over and yanked his _sai_ from the fallen man's back. The now blood stained weapon slid free with a sharp hiss. "Go get Master Splinter," he stated in a dull voice, his eyes fixed on the thick crimson liquid that had begun to pool beneath the Foot ninja's lifeless body.

Don left the room. Behind Alex, Mike lifted a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "You might not want to be here for this," he said softly, attempting to pull her away from the sight of the corpse. "Come on Alex."

"Okay," she whispered. She turned her gaze to Raph, giving him one last searching look before turning her back on the scene and retreating to the safety of her bedroom.  


	6. Chapter 5

**Authors Notes: **More thanks are definitely in order. You guys are great. I am switching the rating on this one due to harsh language and adult situations…nothing to risqué yet. Just things people under the age of 21 can't do legally. Umm…lessee… 

Jo Dawn, thank you so much for your review. I don't know if I have reviewed yet to let you know but I think your fic "What the Heart Wants" is absolutely amazing. I adore it. So thank you for reviewing hun. 

Meathead, any questions you have feel free to ask. I've been known to crack under a good twist of the arm. I'm no good at keeping information from my readers. 

Punker, thanks tons for your review. I'm so glad that this story has helped you with your writing. That's more of a compliment then I can even say.

And also thank you Dragonpink. Glad the story caught your interest. I hope it continues to do so.

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing save for my own character Alex. I also hold no claim to the movie Moulin Rouge. I will however say it was a brilliant movie and one of my favorites. Um…that should about do it! Enjoy guys!

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**Chapter Four**

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It had been a week. One long, miserably tense week and _still_ Alex hadn't spoken a word to him. Of course Raphael couldn't really blame her for that. She thought he was a cold, heartless murderer and yes, he could understand why she was scared, hell he was pretty damn scared himself, but she could have at least offered him a chance to explain.

He threw another aggravated punch at the heavy punching bag. The hollow thud echoed off the walls of the empty training _dojo_. _If I could just get her to listen to him for one minute maybe-._ "What do I care if she listens to me or not?" he muttered, laying into the punching bag again, this time a little harder. Good question. What did he care? She was just a girl. And that might have almost been convincing if his inner psyche didn't know exactly why he cared so much. Sure she was just a girl, but she was a girl who had won over every single one of his brothers and his Sensei, one that was still adorable even when she was giving him the silent treatment (something of which she was incredibly good at) and one that could make him forget everything with a simple kiss. 

"Damn." This time when his fist connected with the suspended bag there was no real power behind the blow. He released a tired sigh, picked up the towel he had brought with him from the floor and hung it over his shoulders as he left the _dojo_, intent on getting some sleep while his brothers were out.

As he rounded the corner of the hallway to his room something collided with him and sent him toppling backwards. That same something landed on top of him, forcing the air from his lungs in a sudden rush. "Jeez Alex," he managed after catching his breath. "Where's the fire?"

She stared down at him for a moment, unreadable emotions swimming in the azure pools of her eyes. Finally she said, "What day is it?"

"Thursday. Why?"

Alex released a distressed yelp and scrambled off him, running down the hallway and disappearing into her room. 

"What the hell was that all about?" Raph wondered out loud as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head. First time the girl talks to him in a week and it's to ask him what day it is? He slowly got to his feet and made his way down the hall to her room, his curiosity heightened by the muffled curses and occasional thumps. 

When he reached Alex's room she was sitting on the edge of her mattress pulling on a pair of elegant yet simple sandals with thin straps that matched the deep blue spaghetti strap dress she was wearing. She stood in one fluid motion that amazed him and the blue fabric whispered over her legs, stopping inches below her knees and flaring ever so gently. The sight of her standing there, a picture of simplistic beauty, caused his heart to jerk unsteadily. She was an angel. "So…ah, where ya goin'?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe as he drank in the sight of her.

She turned to him, pulling half of her hair behind her head and pinning it. "An audition," she replied flippantly.

Her words put an abrupt stop to whatever train of thoughts he had going on in his suddenly overactive imagination. An audition meant top side-the…one place she wasn't allowed to go on her own. Slowly, Raph crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her through narrowed eyes. 

She saw that look and knew exactly what it meant. He wasn't going to let her go. "Raph please," she entreated, knowing it would do her no good. But she had been waiting far too long for this opportunity to give in without a fight. "I've been wanting to do this for weeks now…before I even met you guys. It's really important to me. Please let me go."

He shook his head. "No Alex. You know what Leo said. You can't go top side unless one of us goes with you."

She crossed the room, closing the distance between them and placing her hands lightly on his arms. "Then come with me," she said softly, begging him with those big blue eyes that had yet to fail in softening him.

"You'd want a murdering monster like me goin' with ya, huh?" The words were out before he could even stop them.

Alex's mouth dropped open and she stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. "That…that's not what I think Raphael," she whispered. 

He dropped his arms to his sides, freeing them from her grasp. "Then what do you think Alex?" he asked, taking a step forward and leaving only an inch of space between them.

She shook her head slowly back and forth, her eyes never leaving his. "Not that. I…I was just scared."

"Scared doesn't really explain why the hell you've been avoiding me all week," he bit out, sounding much more angry then he had intended to. Alex flinched but didn't move away. She didn't even look like she wanted to back down. He grudgingly admired her for that.

"I'm sorry. You…you just killed the guy and you didn't even look like you cared," she cried passionately, her anger starting to show itself. "I've never seen a person…stabbed before! Sorry if I can't handle it like you can and be so damn cold about it!"

Raph grabbed her arms just below the shoulder and yanked her close. He was beyond angry, beyond furious even. "Is that what you think Alex? That I'm cold?" he demanded through clenched teeth. What did she know about being cold? Did she ever have someone she loved taken by the Foot, tied, and beaten? Was her home ransacked and her life destroyed to the point that she couldn't even grieve or return to the way it had once been but had to keep going forward? If anyone had a right or reason to be cold, it damn well better be him.

"Raphael, please-," she said, the anger draining from her in a sudden rush, being replaced by fear and exhaustion. 

"Would it help to know that it was the first and probably the last time I have ever killed a person? That every time I close my fucking eyes I'm haunted by visions of a goddamn corpse?!"

"Raph, you're hurting me," Alex tried again in a trembling voice.

"What?" He looked down at his hands. Each still gripped her upper arms, his fingers biting into her soft skin and turning it an angry red. "Damn," he muttered, quickly releasing her and taking a step back. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just-," he drew an unsteady breath, ashamed with his lack of self-control. "I wanted you to understand. You could have at least let me try to explain. He could have killed you Alex. I couldn't let him do that."

He started to turn away when suddenly her arms were around his neck and she was pressing her warm body against his. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," she murmured close to his ear.

Suddenly his angered thoughts came rushing back to him and with it came guilt. Horrible, gut-wrenching guilt. How could he have thought for one second that she had it easy? He'd heard the story, heard how her parents were ripped away from her, and he could only guess what terrible, empty life she had led with no family. She probably had no choice but to go on, despite how alone she was. At least he had had family to pull him through. With this new realization he gave up the fight to stay angry and wrapped his arms around her waist.  "Well, in all fairness I didn't really tell ya."

"And I didn't give you much of a chance to," she argued back, tightening her arms around him. "I missed you Raph," she admitted in a tiny whisper.

Those were the last words he'd expected to hear out of her and they shook him, more then he even cared to admit to himself. "I missed you too Alex," he said, running a hand slowly down her back. And it was the truth. He had missed her. God how he'd missed her. It was funny how someone you had only known for little over a week could make such a difference in your life.

"So," she pulled away from him, keeping her hands on his shoulders and giving him a bright smile, "you'll come with me then?"

He rolled his eyes, unable to keep from smiling. "Alright…alright. But if Leo gets pissed-."

"I'll take the blame," she finished for him. "Good. Let me just grab my jacket and we'll go."

And just like that things were back to normal or at least as normal as they had been. Alex slid her leather jacket on; they stopped in the living room so Raph could grab his coat and then together they left the lair for Alex's audition.

*~*~*

The auditions were held several blocks away from the lair in a large theater that went by the name of The Eccentric. The name suited it well for they only did plays that were risqué in nature, taking them to the extreme. Alex had once seen "A Streetcar Named Desire" there and had fallen in love with not only the theater but in love with each and every performance. 

When Alex and Raph arrived the place was already filled with people. Several sat on the stage, others milled around laughing and talking. A few of them had started to form a line before a table where a very striking woman with long, flaming red hair sat, talking to a haughty looking dark haired man in all black. 

"Nervous?" Raph asked.

Alex stared around at the mass of people and swallowed hard. "Now I am. I didn't expect so many to show up."

"What's this for anyway?" He pulled her back into the shadows of an overhanging balcony to avoid yet another group of people.

Alex watched them make their way to the front feeling more and more out of place by the second. There were so many and they all looked as if they knew each other. Then there was her, standing in the dark with Raphael. "It's…um…try outs for Moulin Rouge. You know the movie?"

"Fell asleep to it once or twice."

The attempt to make her smile failed and she continued staring apprehensively at the growing crowd. "Well this is the play. And you know what? I've changed my mind. Let's go."

"Whoa! Hold it." Raph snaked an arm around her waist as she tried to escape and pulled her back. "You wanna leave after all that beggin' you just did to get here?"

"Yup," she said, struggling half-heartedly against his hold. Finally she gave up and sagged back against his chest. "I didn't think there was going to be so many people here."

"So let me get this straight. A bunch of people standin' around doin' nothin' scares ya, but four mutant turtles and a rat doesn't?"

Alex fought the smile tugging at her lips. "You guys intimidated me," she said softly.

"Yeah, for like a minute," Raph intone. "Alex, look at me."

She turned to face him, finding herself immediately lost in the depths of his dark eyes. The dull murmur of voices slowly started to fade away to nothing and for a fleeting moment Alex considered dragging Raph up on stage with her. If he was this good at making the crowd disappear she could really used him. 

"You've been wantin' to do this for how long now?"

"Weeks."

Raph took one her hands in his. "So if you wanted it so bad why are ya lettin' a bunch of strangers scare you off?" She opened her mouth to say something in her defense but he pushed on, not allowing her the chance. "You've got a hell of a singing voice and you have got to be a damn good actress if you can pull the silent treatment on me and miss me at the same time."

She laughed at that, holding a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound.

"Plus," he went on, "Alex, you look gorgeous. Don't tell me you got all dressed up just to take a walk."  
  


"No," she said, smiling at him. "No I didn't."

"So get up there then." 

Alex looked thoughtfully at him for a moment, wondering how she could have possibly been afraid of him. "Thank you so much," she murmured. Lifting her arms she wrapped them around his neck in a loose hug. "You know…you're pretty easy to talk to when you want to be."

Raph shrugged, grinning as he circled a strong arm around her waist. "Don't go tellin' my brothers that. I'd never live it down."

"Deal," she agreed. Ever so slowly the control she had over her actions and emotions started to slip, lessening with every second that she stood there in his embrace. If she didn't move soon she was going to become a victim to her desire and make a fool out of herself again. Just when she thought she could manage a step back and get out of her current situation, she felt Raph's finger tips gently brush over her back. On their own accord her arms tightened around his neck, bringing them closer together.

"Alright people, if you missed the earlier announcement those of you who are here to audition must sign in first. The lovely Marquette will be taking your names. If you haven't signed in I suggest you do so now. I have very little time and right now you're all wasting it," the man at the table called out in a bored sounding yet deep and authoritative voice. People responded immediately, rushing to join the growing line.

"I think that's your cue," Raph said, his voice lower then normal and his intense gaze holding hers. 

"I think you're right." His arm fell away; Alex moved back and took a deep breath. "Be back in a bit."

Making her way down the aisle, she resisted the overpowering urge to look back at Raph, hard as it was. She knew he'd be sitting in the shadows, waiting there for her to return, but that didn't stop her from wanting to run back to him and get lost in those dark eyes once more. God, what was she going to do? 

As she moved into the line, paying no attention to the people around her, her mind worked furiously, trying to figure out the emotions that constantly plagued her, trying to figure out where exactly she stood with Raphael. Now that the past week had been somewhat put behind them, they were on better ground…but she still couldn't define what it was that she felt for him. It went beyond a simple liking; beyond what she felt for any of his brothers…and she didn't have a name for it.

When she reached the table she forced her thought aside and quickly signed her name. 

"Don't forget your last name dear," a husky female voice with only a hint of a French accent called out as she was turning away.

"I'm sorry…what?" Alex faced the elegant looking red head, the one that went by the name Marquette.

"Your last name." She repeated, pushing the clipboard toward Alex. "We need it in case there are others here with the same name."

The younger woman stared at the paper blankly for a moment before finally saying, "I don't have one."

Marquette gave her a patient smile, tilting her head to the side. "Surely your parents-."

"They both died when I was born," Alex explained. "I was given no last name."

"Oh…I see. Fair enough. We will just have to make up one for you to use temporarily then." The red head tapped her chin, clearly thinking up a last name for Alex to use. "How does Eisei sound?"

Alex smiled. "Pretty strange. But I like it. Does it stand for something?"

Marquette nodded as she wrote the last name behind where Alex had wrote her first. "Yes. It's one of my favorite Japanese words actually. It means…eternal life."

Alex's heart slammed painfully against her ribs, bringing with it the first threads of panic, but she forced her smile to remain firmly in place. _That name means nothing_, she told herself vehemently. _It's just a coincidence_.

"So that will work then?" Marquette asked, looking up at Alex with kind chocolate brown eyes. 

"Yes," Alex said calmly. "That will work fine, thank you." She excused herself and made her way back up the aisle on unsteady legs, moving into a dark row of seats in the back and collapsing in the one beside Raphael.

"What's up? You don't look too good," he said, watching the group of people move around the stage area. When she didn't answer he turned to face her. "Alex, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and folded her trembling hands in her lap. "It's nothing. I'm probably just being paranoid."

"About what?"

"Well I…I don't have a last name and the lady up there called me on it." Dropping her voice to a whisper, Alex tore her gaze from the flame haired woman and turned it to Raphael. "She made one for me…a temporary name. Eisei."

Raph racked his brain, knowing the word was Japanese but not being able to remember what exactly it meant. "What's so bad about that?" he asked.

"It's Japanese…for eternal life."

Giving her a skeptical look, Raph leaned back in his seat. "You don't think-."

Alex shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Like I said, I'm probably just being paranoid."

"You don't sound too convincing," he said, watching the slow, shy grin spread over her face.

"I know." This time the waver in her voice was audible. She was worried.

"Hey." Raph reached over and slid an arm around her shoulders. "No one's layin' a hand on you while I'm here and if it makes you feel better I'll keep and eye on her, okay?"

"My big bad body guard," Alex quipped, relaxing enough to laugh softly.

"Yeah…sure." He lifted his gaze to the talking crowd. Most of them were seated by now, taking up most of the first few rows and the ledge of the stage. "You know, you probably are just being paranoid. You women are good at doing that." He smirked when he felt the smooth edge of her sandal against his leg.

"You value that shin of yours?" she asked, rubbing her foot against it.

"Sure do ma'am. One busted up shin is enough for me, thanks."

Alex chuckled, lowering her head to rest on his shoulder. It was an unexpected movement and Raphael immediately tensed, not sure how to react. It wasn't every day a woman snuggled up to him. Hesitating a moment longer, he tightened his arm around her shoulder and relaxed, finding he really liked the feel of her in his arms.

"Alright people!" The man sitting at the table stood, his long form looking oddly elegant in the somewhat tight black clothing. He was a director all right. He clapped his hands loudly over his head to gain everyone's attention. "By now you should all know why you're here. If you don't," he pointed a long finger towards the back, "there's the exit. My name is Cameron Diangelo. I am the founder of this establishment as well as your director…should you have what it takes to get in to this production." He moved away from the table, taking long easy strides to the front of the stage. "If this is your first time auditioning you should know that we do things quite differently here. You'll be called up and given a script. I will then tell you what song you will be singing. These auditions will go fast people as will the decision of who gets cast as what roll. You have one chance…and only one chance to prove your worth as an actor. Make it a good one. Marquette?"

"James Martin and Cynthia Beck," the red head announced in her clear accented voice. Two people, a short girl with spiky blonde hair and a lanky man with a mop of brown hair and a goatee stepped up to the table, eagerly taking the scripts Marquette offered.

"Well. This is…different," Raphael muttered, watching the two make their way up on stage.

"They're the only one's who run a theater like this," Alex said as she shifted in her seat, moving closer to him and resting her arm on the bar between them. Her fingers brushed against the outside of his leg and he swallowed hard, feeling the slight pressure as if it were an electrical shock. Had she meant to do it? Knowing her…probably. But did he mind? Not in the slightest. She could touch him as much as she wanted for all he cared.

"Raph?"  
  


"Yeah?"

Alex tilted her head up so that she could look at him without moving her head from his shoulder. "What were you talking to Leonardo about that night? You know, when you said something about those guys finding your place before?"

Notes from the piano on stage filled the room and not long after a slightly shy baritone joined in. Raph smiled sadly, remembering a time that he wished he could forget. "You remember Leo tellin' you about the Foot right?" he asked quietly. 

"Yes."

"Well, a few years back a friend of our got jumped by 'em in the subway. I was the only one there so I took care of the guys and brought April back to our place."

Alex's brows furrowed and she sat up. "April…Casey's girlfriend?"

"Yeah. When I brought her back I was followed. Things only got worse after that. They broke in while we were takin' April home…took Splinter with 'em. It was days before we ever saw him again." He dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Oh Raph," Alex murmured, slipping her hand into his. She understood fully now why he had taken care of that intruder the way he had. He wasn't just trying to protect her; he was trying to protect his family. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Hey, it was a long time ago." He gently squeezed her hand and looked up at her. "But thanks."

Sighing, Alex rested her head back on his shoulder. "So um…what did you guys do with…with…?"

Raph smiled as her nose scrunched up in concentration. "With the body?" he prompted. 

She turned her wide-eyed gaze on him and nodded slowly as if she were ashamed of her curiosity.

"He's sleepin' with the fishies." At her horrified expression Raph laughed, tightening his arm around her shoulders when she tried to pull away. "Alex I'm just kidding! Me and Leo too him out to April's farm and buried him, okay?"

Watching him warily she returned to his side. "Not funny Raph."

"Sure it was," he said, still smiling.

They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the performances up on stage. They were all interesting, ranging from romantic duets to throaty, seductive solos. Every now and then Raph would comment on the quality of a singers voice asking if it was a requirement that you be tone deaf to audition or saying that maybe they should have left when she'd wanted to and each time he made such snide remarks Alex would elbow him lightly in the side and laugh. 

An hour crawled past and the fair Marquette called out Alex's name. Taking a deep breath Alex stood, slipping off her jacket and leaving it in the chair she had just vacated. "Alright. Wish me luck."

"Knock 'em dead babe," Raph said giving her his best Mikey impression and a thumbs up.

Alex giggled, shaking her head and made her way to the table. Waiting for her was a young man only slightly taller then her who was slightly built and had light brown hair complimented by amazingly green eyes. He had to be around the same age, 23…24 maybe. Alex nodded to him and accepted her script from Marquette, noticing that it had been turned to the page with the romantic duet. 

"Good luck you two," Marquette said, offering them a friendly smile. They both voiced their gratitude then went up on stage.

"My name is Wes," the guy said as they walked, smiling warmly at her.

She returned it, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. He seemed nice enough. Not trustworthy…then again no one seemed trustworthy now a days. No one except for her new, unique friends. "Alex. Nice to meet you."

"Same goes. So you've seen the movie?" 

"Own it." 

He laughed softly, stopping at center stage and facing her. "So I'm guessing we don't need these then, do we?" he asked, holding up his script.

Alex shook her head. "Not if you know the words as well as I do."

Wes closed his script, rolling it and tucking it into her back pocket, winking at Alex in the process. "I think those leading rolls are as good as ours." 

*~*

Leaning back in his seat, Raphael eyed the man on stage smiling at Alex with growing irritation. Who the hell did that guy think he was? Rico Swavey? Hardly. Although, when he began to sing Raph did have to admit the guy had a voice. "Won't save him from an ass kickin' if he keeps lookin' at her like that," he muttered under his breath.

With a sigh he sank further back, stretching his legs out in front of him as best he could, given the limited space, and allowing his mind to wander. Of course, as it usually did since the moment she had started hanging around, his mind immediately chose to think about Alex. He shook his head, not able to believe that he had just spent over an hour with his arm around her. And the way she had rested her head on his shoulder, like it was something she did every day…it almost seemed like she liked doing it…like she enjoyed being close to him. But did she? He had no way of knowing. Sure, he'd seen her act like this with Michelangelo all the time…but she never held Mikey's hand the way she had held his. It was too fucking confusing. That's all there was to it. Raphael frowned, wondering when the hell he had allowed such emotions to cloud his mind. But even as he thought that another question nagged at him. Did Alex feel anything for him…anything like what he felt for her? 

_You're a mutant buddy. Of course she doesn't. Besides, what could you honestly offer the girl?_ his conscience brutally reminded him. Raph just smiled sadly, thinking that if he could he would offer her the whole damn world. 

A sweet soprano voice more beautiful than anything he had ever heard jarred his thoughts to a sudden halt and Raphael glanced up from under the brim of his hat. Standing on stage, commanding it with gracefully liquid movements and a dazzling smile was Alex. He had no idea she was that good! She obviously hadn't done herself justice singing along with Sheryl Crow in their kitchen back at the lair. But now…god, now she took his breath away and made him wish that it was him she was singing to instead of that no-name on stage with her.

In perfect tune the two finished their duet and the audience, those who were willing to acknowledge quality when they heard it, applauded enthusiastically. The two made their way off stage, Alex stopping momentarily when the guy she had been singing with reached out and touched her arm. They exchanged a few words, and then Alex nodded, giving him a fleeting smile before turning her back on him and returning to the darkened part of the theater where Raph was waiting for him.

"So how was I?" she asked as she sat down beside him, her voice wavering slightly from the remaining nerves that jittered in her system.

"Voice like an angel," he replied softly, meaning every word of it. 

Alex ducked her head modestly and started pulling her jacket on. "Come on. Be serious."

"I am being serious Alex."

Slowly, she lifted her gaze to his, taking a second to read the truth written clearly in his dark eyes. A gorgeous smile lit up her face. "Thank you Raphael."

Now it was his turn to blush. "Don't mention it," he muttered, pulling his hat down to hide his face. He could still feel her eyes on him though, studying him, that shy smile playing on her full lips. Thoughts of what he could do to those lips…what he wanted to do filled his head and he bit back a growl of frustration.

Luckily for him the auditions didn't last much longer. The last couple left the stage amid a round of applause and there was a tense fifteen minutes of silence before the man at the table stood, a piece of paper clutched loosely in his hand. "I suppose you all want to know what I have here?" He held up the paper, waggling it slightly.

A few people laughed, albeit nervously. Beside him Alex remained silent, her usual easy to read expression replaced by a mask of indifference.  

The man, Diangelo he had called himself, began reading off names in an almost bored manner, pairing them up with the rolls of the characters they would be playing. When he'd gone through at least half a dozen and Alex's name hadn't been called yet, Raphael cast her a worried glance, surprised to find that she still maintained her expression of complete calm. 

"And now, our ill…fated lovers," Diangelo called out, catching Raphael's attention. "Playing the roll of Christian will be Wes Johnson. And…the roll of the beautiful Satine goes to Alexandria Eisei. Congratulations to those of you who made it. I expect you here at five o'clock on Monday for practice. Until then."

As the sounds of people packing up their belongings and getting ready to leave filled the massive room Raphael turned to Alex. "Hey, way to go," he said appreciatively, giving her a lop sided grin.

She said nothing in return. She didn't even smile. She merely sat there staring straight ahead.

"You okay?" he asked.

Ever so slowly she stood and turned, making her way out of the theater. Confused, Raphael quickly followed her, pulling his coat tightly around his body to ward off the chill of the night and the curious glances he might receive should anyone catch a peek at what lie beneath the well-worn trench coat. 

"Alex, wait up!" he called once they were out on the sidewalk. Most had chosen to take the back way out which left them, for the most part, alone save for a few stragglers. At the sound of his voice Alex stopped under the orange-red glow of a streetlight but did not turn to face him. When he reached her he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alex-,"

"I can't believe I got it," she whispered, scarcely loud enough for him to hear. With a joyful yelp she spun and threw her arms around his neck, laughing. It was the third time she had done this to him and yet it still caught him off guard. Allowing himself to relax, Raphael wrapped his arms around her waist. Her scent, a heady mixture of strawberry and wild roses filled his nose, reminding him of the old farmhouse and the flowers that had bloomed so freely there.

"I can't believe I got it!" she repeated, her warm breath fanning over his neck and causing a shiver of longing to ripple through him. "Did you hear him? Did I seriously get the part?!"

Raphael chuckled softly, not giving a single thought to relinquishing his hold on the woman in his arms. "I heard him. Was really startin' to wonder if you had though."

Alex pulled back in his embrace and smiled at him, her deep blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Sorry about that."

"So you're a little strange, big deal," he said with a shrug. "So's Mikey." He paused, making a thoughtful expression by arching one of his brows. "Must be why you two get along so well."

Laughing, she smacked him playfully on the arm and in a split second her laughter died away and that hand moved from his arm, sliding up to his shoulder, resting on the contoured muscles as her eyes clouded over with an emotion he had seen once before from her. The night she had kissed him. He had no clue how long they had stood like that. He was dimly aware of her speaking, saying they should get home. He replied with the slightest of nods but at the same time tightened his arms around her drawing her closer to him and further into the spell that had fallen around them.

Somewhere in a nearby alley a cat yowled, a trashcan clanged noisily against the pavement and the spell was broken. Alex blushed furiously, deep ruddy red staining her cheeks. At the same time Raph released her, taking a step back and clearing his throat nervously. "We should get back," he said, repeating what Alex had already suggested.

Offering only a curt nod, Alex followed him a short ways down the sideway and back into the dark tunnels of the sewer. 

They walked on in silence, a silence that seemed to reverberate off the walls. Raphael cast a sideways glance at the woman walking beside him. She was so quiet. What the hell was she thinking? He sure wanted to know. It would make this whole…whatever it was between them a lot easier to figure out if she would just tell him something…anything really. 

His thoughts were silenced as they approached the lair. Angry voices, most noticeably Leonardo's, drifted out to where they stood. Raph couldn't hear what they were saying. But then again he didn't really need to. He knew it was about him. When wasn't it? Shoulders slumping in defeat he swore under his breath and readied himself to be yelled at. Same shit…different day. Then something strange happened. A hand slipped into his, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. He turned his head, looking at Alex. She stared at him with a warm smile but her vibrant eyes were hard as steel. "I wont let them be mad at you," she said very softly.

Something deep inside him twisted. It wasn't a bad feeling, far from it. It was the kind of feeling that came when you realized just how special a person was and not just to anyone…but to you. Alex was willing to stand up to his brothers for him. True he didn't exactly need it…but no one had ever done anything like that for him before.

"Come on," she lightly coaxed; pulling on his hand and leading him down the stairs. 

"I'd brace myself if I were you Alex," he warned as they entered the lair together. Three heads belonging to the three turtles that sat on the couch and chair immediately jerked up upon hearing the click of Alex's heals against the concrete floor. 

"Where the hell have you been?" Leo snapped, starting in on them immediately, his angry gaze settling on Raph. "And what possessed you to bring Alex with!?"

Anger quickly rose within Raphael along with a sarcastic remark that was quelled a second later and replaced by an amused smile when Alex stepped in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. Oh, this was going to be good.

"Raph had nothing to do with it Leo so don't get all mad at him," she said calmly and although her voice was as soft as silk it brooked no argument and the response was immediate. Leonard's rigid stance slackened and the anger quickly vanished from his eyes. "I had to go top side," she continued, "so I talked him into coming with me. He didn't want to but I'm pretty convincing when I need to be."

"She really is Leo," Raph agreed, trying to keep a straight face.

 Leo looked back and forth between the two. "What did you need to go top side for?" he finally asked Alex.

"Well…um-." She cast her gaze to the floor. "I've wanted to try out for this play for a while now, The Moulin Rouge. And the auditions were tonight. So-." She let the sentence hanging, assuming they all were smart enough to guess what had happened from there.

When it became obvious that no one had a response to that Mike rolled his eyes, slightly disgusted with his never-curious-enough brothers and spoke up. "Well how did ya do?"

Alex looked up and smiled but it was Raph that answered for her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and with a smirk that actually looked proud said, "We've got a little star on our hands guys."

"No shit!" Mike exclaimed. "You got the part of Satine?"

That question instantly earned him three very strange looks from his older brothers who had no clue that Mike's love for movies had gone as far as musicals. The orange masked turtle once again rolled his eyes. "Well one of us has to be all knowing in the movie department," he muttered.

"Yeah Mikey, I got the part," Alex confirmed, laughing at his indignant expression. 

Forgetting about how angry he had been when he'd returned home only to find Alex and Raph gone, Leo came forward and enveloped her in a friendly hug. "Congratulations Alex."

"Yeah," Don added, next in line for a hug. "You're going to get us tickets right?"

Alex smiled, wrapping her arms around Don's neck. "You bet. Can't think of four people I'd rather have there."  

            "Turtles babe, turtles," Mike corrected, shoving Don aside and pulling Alex into a warm embrace. "You know what this means right?"

            Alex pulled back and gave him an odd look, her delicate brows forming a frown. "No. What?"

            He waggled his brow ridges and grinned comically. "It's party time. This calls for brewski's and ski ball! I know a place. Casey works there. We'll just tell Sensei where we're going and not to expect us home till late."

            "Sounds like a plan to me," Raph said from behind Alex. He turned to Leon, not in the least bit surprised to see the wary expression that had settled itself onto his face. "Come on Leo. Kick back for a night. She deserves a celebration."

            Leonardo cast a glance at the subway car Splinter occupied. The windows were glowing softly from the candles lit within. "Well-." 

*~*~*~*

            "Hell yeah! Beat that babe!" Mike yelped as his last ski ball sunk its way into the 500-point slot with a hollow clatter. He did a short-lived victory dance, his trench coat flapping around his muscular legs. 

            Alex looked up at him from under the brim of Raphael's fedora, which she had snatched from his head and took off with when they entered the bar and found it blissfully empty except for their host for the evening and bartender, Casey Jones. Each of the four turtles had immediately relaxed, keeping their trench coats on just in case but piling their hats at the end of the table they had settled themselves in. Beers had been served along with a wine cooler for Alex and now they were all lounging in a spacious booth, Leonardo and Donatello on one side and Alex and Raphael on the other. 

            Smiling, Alex slid from the booth, pulling off the beaten fedora and leaving it on the edge of the table next to her half drank wine cooler. "Not bad, not bad," she murmured, slipping a note of boredom into her voice. "But why don't you stand back and let a pro show you how it's done." 

            "Ooh, ain't she cocky?" Mike teased lightly, inserting more quarters into the Ski Ball machine. The balls came rolling down the shoot with a sound like thunder slowly building in the distance. 

            Winking at him, Alex picked up one of the ski balls and rolled it between her hands. "She is when she knows she can whoop your ass." And she could. Or at least she thought she could. The truth was she had never actually played Ski ball before. But she had bowled. She loved to bowl. So this couldn't be much different…could it? "Ready to loose Michel…angelo?" she mocked with an enticing wiggle of her backside, drawing laughter from her group of friends, even the one she was up against.

            "Show me what you got babe," he instructed light heartedly.

            And she did. She drew her arm back and rolled the ball with graceful ease right into the thousand-point slot. Turning slowly, Alex gave Mike her best innocent smile as she listened to his three brothers snicker. "A thousand points…that's good right?" 

            The games went on, Mike switching from best out of three to best out of ten and although he had his moments, Alex was still the undefeated champion. A few hours and several consumed alcoholic beverages later, Casey called it quits for the night and ushered them back out into the alley. "Alright guys…walk safely. Good thing ya'll don't drive. I'd hate to have to fight ya for the keys." 

            "I'd put my money on Alex," Michelangelo yelped, swaying slightly and being caught by his only slightly more sober brother Donatello. "Later Case." 

            "Jeez Mikey, remind me to cut you off a lot earlier the next time we decide to do this," the purple masked turtle muttered under his breath.

            "I'm fine Don, you're the one who's too drunk. Quit stumbling so much."  
  


            "You're the one stumbling brainiac! I'm just keeping you from falling on your face."

            Over the arguing the others said goodnight and found the nearest manhole, descending into the sewers and trudging their way through the tunnels towards home. Once there they stumbled down the stairs, now more sleepy then actually drunk. As the others went their separate ways, all tired enough to do a nosedive straight into bed, Raph hung back. There was something on his mind, something he had wanted answered all day but had never gotten the chance. But now...now he had it. 

"Alex," he called out softly to her retreating back, hoping that none of his brothers would hear him. She turned slowly, her long blond hair flaring out slightly before settling against the bare skin of her shoulders. A slow smile curved her full lips and she hesitantly walked to him. "What is it Raph?" she asked, staring up at him with curious deep blue eyes.

Suddenly he was finding it difficult to form the words. All day he had been thinking of different ways to ask her, to find out why...and now his mind had failed him, groping clumsily for the smallest reminder of what he was going to ask her. Damn it, why did this always happen when she got near him?

"Raph...are you okay?" she asked, laying a hand on his arm.

That simple touch brought his mind to attention and he finally remembered. "Alex," he started slowly, "Um...I was wondering...why did you kiss me the other night?"

She stared at him for a moment, wide eyes watching him uncertainly. "I don't know," she whispered.

"Well...did you even mean to do it? I just figured you were tired...or something like that."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "No. I knew what I was doing. I...I wanted to kiss you Raphael."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. All this time he had thought it was just a fluke, something she had done without thinking. "You wanted to?" he asked quietly, unable to hide the note of disbelief in his voice. She nodded, dropping her gaze nervously to the floor between them. "Yes."

"Then," he murmured, lifting a hand to cradle the side of her face and draw her gaze back up to his. "You wouldn't mind if I wanted to kiss you too?"

If possible her eyes grew even wider and her beautiful lips parted in surprise. "I...no. I wouldn't," she admitted.

He nodded once, very slowly, never taking his eyes from hers. "Good." Leaning down he gently pressed his lips against hers and wrapped his arms around her small waist, drawing her close. She gave in with no hesitation, sliding her hands up his arms and around his neck with a tiny sigh and pressing her lithe body against his. Cautiously, as if he were afraid she would vanish any second, he deepened the kiss, overjoyed when she immediately responded by opening her mouth and tilting her head to the side. The kiss was very slow, almost lazy in a way, something to be savored as the time drew on unnoticed by the two who were just now realizing exactly how deep their feelings for each other went.

Reluctantly, Raphael drew back, breaking the passionate embrace and staring in wonder at the woman in his arm. God she was amazing. Lifting a hand he brushed long strands of golden honey locks back from her face, tucking them behind her ear. "Goodnight Alex," he murmured softly, releasing his hold on her and walking with deliberate slowness to his room where he could be alone with these new, tangled up emotions. And once again Alex was left alone, confused...but also secretly pleased. She had never known he could kiss that well.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Five 

****

Alex was on the verge of screaming. She had passed confusion, hadn't even bothered to pause at crying and had sunk into complete frustration. She didn't understand what the hell was going on anymore. Raphael had kissed her and it had been so wonderful. But now…now he was acting like nothing had happened. It had all started at breakfast earlier that morning. Alex had woken up early, a smile immediately brightening her face as she remembered the kiss from last night. She'd never experienced a kiss like that before, with such tenderness and the smallest hint of endearing uncertainty. With the smile still in place Alex had gotten up, dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple maroon hooded sweatshirt and left her room, her stomach growling for food. 

            All of the guys were already up. Donatello sat in front of his computer, diligently typing away, Michelangelo sat in front of the TV watching cartoons while wolfing down a bowl of cereal and Raphael and Leonardo were at the kitchen table talking quietly while holding steaming mugs of coffee. Alex remembered smiling at the image they made. She could definitely see those two being the coffee drinkers of the bunch.

            After waving to Mike and Don Alex had joined the two older turtles at the table, greeting them with a cheerful good morning. Leo had returned her greeting with a warm smile. Raph however spared her a quick glance, his dark gaze unreadable. Without so much as a single word he had abruptly stood and left the room. Alex had been stunned and hurt quite deeply and to make matters worse…it had only gone downhill from there. She wasn't sure how many more of his cold brush off's she could take. It was already early evening and her last delicate nerve was seriously frayed. 

            "Alex?" She heard Leo call, his voice sounding very distant. Releasing a discouraged sigh she dropped her arms to her sides and hung her head in defeat, giving up on her _katas_ all together.

            "Where's your mind tonight Alex?" Leo asked kindly, his voice much more clear now that the fog in her mind had cleared slightly.

            She sighed again and shook her head. "Not on my exercises," she answered truthfully. 

            They stood together in the dojo lit only by the meager light of several candles. Before Alex had allowed her mind to stray they had been going through the concentrated movements of the _katas_, something of which had become a nightly ritual of the two after Alex had walked in on Leo practicing.

            "You want to talk about it?"

            Alex raised her tired gaze to his, debating whether or not she should confide in him about what had been going on between her and Raphael. In the end she decided she _had_ to tell someone before she completely lost her sanity. "I think we should sit down," she said quietly.

            Concern flashing in his eyes, Leonardo took her arm and led her across the room to a long bench against the wall. Once they were seated Alex drew a deep breath and started to tell him everything. She told him about the night she had gone topside, about how Raph had found her and carried her back to her room where she had shamelessly kissed him. She told him everything she could, saving the bit about Raph kissing her for last. "And now," she muttered, feeling every bit as miserable as she sounded, "he's giving me the cold shoulder and I don't understand why. I…I don't know what I did wrong." She fell silent, awaiting a response from Leo.

            The blue masked turtle ran a hand over his face, taking in and processing everything Alex had told him. "Jeez," he finally whispered. 

            Alex jerked up. "What?" she asked in alarm, guilt swimming in her deep blue eyes. 

            Leo laid a calm hand on her shoulder. "Relax Alex. I just had no idea it had gotten so far, that's all."

            Her brows drew together to form a delicate frown. "You…knew?" 

            "I had an idea. That's all. But like I said I didn't know you two had gotten that close."

            "God Leo, what am I supposed to do? I don't get why he's jerking me around like this!" 

            Leo quickly wrapped his arms around Alex, holding her as her body trembled with sobs she refused to release. "It's okay Alex," he murmured. "Everything's going to be fine. Listen, why don't you go see Splinter. He'll help you find some peace and while you're doing that…I'll go talk to Raph."

            Alex moved out of his embrace, staring up at him with hope filled eyes. "Really? You'd do that?"

            "Sure. Come on." He stood, offering her his hand and helping her up. "You know where to find Master Splinter right?" 

            She nodded as she followed him across the floor and out of the training _dojo_.

            "He'll probably already know you're coming so just knock once and enter. And don't worry about Raph okay?" He gave her a reassuring smile and a gentle shove in the direction of Splinters meditation room concealed in the confines of the first subway car. She went, casting a quick, grateful look over her shoulder. Once she had knocked and disappeared inside the car the smile left Leo's face, replaced by an angry glare. He couldn't believe Raph had allowed himself to loose control of his emotions. No, scratch that. He could believe it. Raph was known for acting on impulse alone. But never had he lost control when it came to women. Turning on his heel, Leo went in search for his younger, irresponsible brother.      

His search took him topside to a once vacant garage located directly above the lair. The garage had been taken over by Don and Raph almost immediately. It was filled with old tools, much of which had already been there, scrap metal, and several unfinished projects Don was in the process of toying with. Sitting in the far corner underneath the dim glow of a swaying work lamp was Raph. He sat on a turned over crate wearing baggy oil stained overalls with a gapping hole in the knee, a welding mask and was wielding a blow torch as he worked on his prized possession; a sleek red and black ninja bike Donatello had helped him piece together. 

As he sensed Leo's approach, Raph extinguished the flame of the torch and pushed the mask back to reveal dark eyes filled with rebelliousness. It was obvious that he was just itching for a fight. "What?" he asked irritably.

Leo crossed his arms over his plastron, meeting Raph's glare with a severe one of his own. "So it's okay to mess with an innocent humans emotions now, is it?"

"I don't know what you're talkin' about Leo," he replied evenly. But something flashed in his eyes. Something that told Leonardo everything he needed to know.

"I think you do Raph," he said.

Emitting a sound of disgust Raph went back to his work. "Why don't you just get to the point? I'm kinda busy here."

"Quit messing with her Raphael. She's got enough on her mind as it is."

"Goin' on another one of your half-assed assumptions about my life Leo?"

Leonardo's glare hardened as he stared at his younger brother, silently cursing his stubborn streak. "It's not an assumption Raph," she said, forcing himself to remain calm. "She told me what's been going on."

Raphael stopped what he was doing and went very still. "What exactly did she say?" he finally asked, the anger gone from his voice.

Leo took several cautious steps forward, slowly closing the gap between them. For a moment it seemed that the danger had passed but he knew better. His brother's temper was quick. If it decided to show it's face again Leo would be ready for it. "She thinks she did something wrong Raph."

"Yeah? Well, maybe she did," Raph snapped. Annoyance flashed briefly in his eyes but disappeared just as quickly as he sighed and shook his head. "No. She didn't do anything wrong."

"Then what's going on?" Leo asked. 

His work forgotten, Raph stood and faced his brother. "Look…Leo, I appreciate your concern and all but this isn't your problem. And don't give me the speech about how what we do individually affects us all. I've heard it before. This is just somethin'…I've got to figure out on my own." Giving his older brother a rough pat on the shoulder he said "Later bro" and left the garage.

Leonardo watched him leave in a state of confusion and slight shock. Only once in a great while had he ever seen Raphael react to questioning without getting pissed off. Something must really be bothering him.

*~*~*~*

"So what do you feel like watching? We've got almost anything you can think of. Courtesy of yours truly."

Sitting across from Alex on the old couch, Michelangelo held up a box full of DVD's. "Action, horror, mystery…even romance."

Alex offered him a halfhearted smile. "You can choose one Mikey," she said while picking at the dark brown piping along the side of one of the couch pillows.

Mike watched her, a worried frown replacing his easy grin. "What's up Alex? You haven't really been yourself lately. Something wrong?"

She started to answer him but stopped short when Raph walked in the room. He grabbed his trench coat and fedora from the table against the wall they had left them laying on last night and pulled them on without a sound. "Where are you going?" she asked, cursing herself for the words as soon as they left her mouth.

"I'm going out," he said. "Did you want to know who I'm gonna be with and when I'm comin' home too?"

Cheeks burning with mortification Alex dropped her gaze to the floor. She listened to the sound of his footsteps leaving the lair as hot tears collected in her eyes. God, she was such a fool. Just because they had shared a few kisses didn't mean the guy felt the same way for her that she did for him. He'd probably just wanted to get a little action and she had happened to be in the right place at the right time. Hell, for all she knew he was probably going to meet another woman right now. 

A hand fell lightly on her shoulder and she jerked her head up, looking into Michelangelo's sympathetic chocolate colored eyes. "You gonna be okay?" he asked softly.

She shook her head and fell into his waiting arms, no longer trying to hold back the tears that had plagued her all day. With one great sob the floodgates burst open. She clung to Mike, hardly hearing his words of comfort through her broken weeping. Several minutes later there were no more tears left yet she still remained in Mike's arms, needing to be held by someone who would not push her away. "You're a good guy Mikey," she hiccupped once she could find her voice. 

He smiled, brushing a tear away from her cheek with the pad of his large thumb. "I know. One of us has got to be good at handling crying chicks. He'll come around Alex."

"Wh-what?" she stammered, the sudden change of subject catching her completely off guard. 

"Raph," Mike elaborated. "He'll come around. Just give him time."

Alex stared at her orange masked friend, momentarily amazed by how perceptive he was. She would almost bet that he could see straight through a person when it came to matters of the heart. "The more time I give him…the more I'm ripped apart inside," she admitted quietly. "You know…when I first came here I was so afraid. I thought I would never be able to shake the fear or be able to think about anything but Danny's betrayal. But now the only thing I'm afraid of is…is being rejected by… _him_."

Mike nodded his understanding, a soothing hand moving over her back and back up. "You really like him that much, huh?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Well…he's a hard guy to deal with Alex. He's arrogant, stubborn and impulsive. But like I said, give him time. Something about Raph that not everyone knows is…eventually he starts thinking, you know? He starts to realize things, but it takes time. And to be honest, I think he'll figure this one out sooner than later. He'd be crazy to keep pushing a girl like you away."

Alex laughed softly, tightening her arms around him. "Thanks Mikey. I really hope you're right." Placing a quick kiss on his cheek she moved out of his embrace and stood, rubbing the back of her hand over a tear streaked cheek bone. "Listen, I have to go talk to Leo about something. I'll be back later okay?"

"Fine," Mike said with a dejected sigh. "Looks like I'll be picking out movies on my own tonight."

"I think you'll manage," she muttered dryly, rolling her eyes as she left the living room. She went down the hall on the left and to Leonardo's room, knocking softly on the hard door. He called out for her to enter and she pushed the door open, closing it behind her once she was in the room. 

Leo sat on his bed, reclining against several pillows, his legs stretched out before him and a book in his hands.

"What are you reading?" Alex asked, moving to the foot of the bed and resting her hands on the rusted metal framework. He held up the book for her to see. Unfortunately the title was in Japanese so she couldn't make out a word of it but she could tell by the deadly looking _katana_ imprinted on the cover that the book was about his choice weapon. Nodding her head she made what she hoped was an interested humming noise. 

"Don't have a clue what it says do you?" Leonardo asked, a slow grin spreading across his face. 

"Not at all," Alex replied. "So I'm guessing the talk didn't go so well?"

"It didn't go bad."

"But?"

 Leo released a deep sigh and set his book aside. "To be honest I'm not really sure how it went."

Curious, Alex went around the bed and sat next to him, the mattress emitting a small squeak as her slight weight settled upon it. "What do you mean?"

"Well," he said slowly, trying to figure how best to explain the conversation (if you could even call it a conversation) that he'd had with Raphael. "He just didn't handle it the way I expected him to do. He usually gets pretty mad when people question him about his actions but he didn't this time." He lifted his shoulders in a helpless shrug, his troubled gaze meeting hers. "He kind of just gave up. He said he had to handle it on his own and then left."

Even though she felt like crying again from the ever-present frustration that was constantly trying to consume her Alex merely nodded, unable to speak past the lump forming in her throat. None of what Leonardo had said could help her. She was still in the dark when it came to figuring out why Raphael was being so cold and distant.

"I'm sorry Alex," Leo quietly murmured.

She shook her head back and forth, swallowing hard and forcing a smile to her lips. "It's not your fault."

"I know. I just thought I knew him so well. He's my brother. I've known him all my life. I always expect him to react a certain way and then he goes and pulls this."

Alex's smile started to turn understanding when a sudden thought struck her. Sitting straight up she grabbed Leo's hand. "Tell me about him."

The blue masked turtle gave her an odd look. "About who? Raph?"

"Yes. Tell me everything you know about him," she insisted, a note of desperation edging her words as she scooted closer to him on the bed. 

"You do realize how long this could take, right?"

"I don't care Leo!" she cried, her hand tightening around his as her wide blue eyes silently pleaded him to do as she asked. "Maybe if I know him better I can understand him or at least why he's doing this. Please?"

Leo nodded reluctantly. "Okay. Where do you want me to start?"

"At the beginning."    

*~*~*

"Excuse me, bar tender?"

Casey Jones turned from the sink where he'd been rinsing out various shot glasses and beer mugs and looked through the smoky atmosphere of the slightly crowded bar to where a woman sat, one slim elbow perched on the counter top. "What can I get for ya ma'am?" he drawled, taking a moment to study the woman. She was pretty enough with short brunette hair and deep brown eyes.

The woman lifted a tapered finger and pointed towards the end of the bar. "Know anything about Mr. Dark and Silent down there?"

Casey looked to where she was pointing and smiled. "Sure do. The guys a good friend of mine."

Her eyes lit up with immediate interest. "Really? Is he single?"

Quickly stifling a sudden bark of laughter he said, "Depends on who you're askin'. He thinks he is but that's far from the truth." The woman arched a penciled eyebrow in question. "The truth is," Casey dropped his voice, leaning against the bar closer to the brunette. "The poor guys fallin' for this girl…hard and he doesn't even realize it."

With a pout the woman looked once more to the end of the bar. "Well, I hope that goes okay for him," she said, her voice lacking actual sincerity. "Do me a favor will you? Make his next drink on me."

"You got it babe."

Turning away fro the woman, Casey grabbed a beer from the cooler hidden under the bar and made his way down the length of the bar to where Raphael sat, inattentively peeling the label from his empty bottle of beer. 

"Here ya go buddy," the dark haired man said, handing him the cold beer he had brought with him. "Compliments of the brunette down there."

Raph glanced up from under the rim of his hat, giving Casey an exhausted grin. "And here I thought havin' a chick buy drinks for ya only happened in movies." He lifted the fresh beer in a mock salute. 

"Not so my friend. Have a look for yourself."

Careful to avoid any unnecessary exposure he did just that, meeting the gaze of the willowy brunette woman at the opposite end of the bar. She waved to him, her full red lips slowly forming the word "hi."

She was a looker all right. But her hair was too short, her make up too thick and she was dressed way too trashy. And…she wasn't Alex. Muttering a foul curse under his breath he inclined his head in a nod of thanks and turned his attention back to his drink. 

"Raph, why don't you just go home and talk to her. Sittin' here and gettin' drunk ain't gonna fix anything." Casey said, already aware of what had been happening between his good friend and the cute blonde he and his brothers had taken in. "Why are you avoiding her anyway?"

Raph was silent for a long time before answering, staring at the counter top with unseeing eyes. He knew the answer to Casey's question. He'd known it for days now. He was avoiding Alex because he was scared. She'd introduced him to way too many new emotions, some of which he'd never even felt before and he had no clue how to deal with them. And on top of all of those emotions was the cold hard truth. Ever present, ever annoying as hell yet they were facts he could not ignore no matter how hard he tried. She was human…we wasn't. It was as simple as that. How could they ever have a normal relationship?

"Raph?"  
  


The mutant turtle took a long drag from his beer and, setting it back down, shook his head. "I dunno Case."

"Sure ya do," Casey replied, easily calling his bluff. "Listen Raph, I know what you're thinkin'…but why don't you just talk to her? Let her tell you how she feels before you go makin' up her mind for her."

"It aint that easy," Raph tried to argue, knowing full well it would get him nowhere. Next to him Casey Jones was the most stubborn guy he knew.

"You keep tellin' yourself that buddy," Casey muttered, wiping down the bar with a white rag. "But I guarantee you'd feel much better if you told her how ya felt. Besides, the girl deserves to know why you've been being such a jerk off today."

Raph smirked at his human friend, "Gee, thanks Casey."

"Well, you have been."

Instead of responding Raph studied the label on his bottle of beer, letting his mind wander aimlessly. Casey had a point. He would feel a hell of a lot better if he had at least some of those emotions off his chest. And Alex did have the right to make up her own mind. What could it hurt? Alex had to feel the same way or she wouldn't have let him kiss her. Yeah, she had to feel the same. Quickly finishing his beer he slapped some money on the bar and started to stand.

"You gonna do it then?" Casey asked.

After a moment of consideration Raph nodded. "Yeah. I think so."

"Better go quick then. Looks like you're not the only one who got a sudden flow of confidence." Casey jerked his head to the side and Raphael turned, coming face to face with the woman who had bought him the beer. He ducked his head so that she wouldn't see his face and shoved his hands in his pockets.

The woman, giving him a flirtatious smile, pressed her body against his arm and slipped a folded piece of paper into the breast pocket of his coat. "Give me a call if it doesn't work out," she whispered seductively as the strong smell of her perfume threatened to choke him. Jesus, hadn't this lady ever heard of playing hard to get? Finally she relinquished her hold on him, sliding her hand slowly down his arm before walking away, her slim hips swaying provocatively. 

With deliberate slowness Raph lifted his head, fixing Casey with an interested look. "If what doesn't work out?" he asked. 

Casey shrugged. "Who knows man? Chicks are strange. Oh, customer…gotta go. Good luck with Alex!"

"Thanks," he muttered the retreating back of his friend before turning on his heel and quickly heading for home. He was going on pure confidence right now and he had no idea when that would fail him. Hopefully it would stick around long enough for him to say everything he needed to say. Hopefully.

He reached home minutes later and passed through the living room without even bother to take his coat off. He paused only long enough to ask Michelangelo, who was sitting on the couch with a half eaten bowl of chips and watching a movie, if he had seen Alex. 

"Yeah dude," the younger turtle said through a mouthful of chips, "she went to talk to Leo 'bout an hour ago."

"Thanks Mikey."

"No problem. Hey, you tell that girl she's supposed to be watchin' a movie with me!" he yelled after his brother.

Raph waved a hand in acknowledgment of his request and went down the hall to Leonardo's room, knocking once on the door and going in without waiting for a response. "Hey Leo, do you know where Alex-." His voice died off immediately as his eyes came to rest on the bed. Leonardo was lying on his back reading, his free arm wrapped loosely around Alex who was curled up beside him sleeping soundly, her hand resting on his chest.

Leo tensed and set his book aside. He could see the anger slowly come to life in his brother's eyes and knew that no matter what he said, Raph wouldn't believe a word of it. He was stuck. 

Beside him Alex stirred and came to. She lifted her head from his shoulder and blinked several times to clear her vision. Confusion settled over her when she saw that she was lying next to him. How had she gotten there? She must have fallen asleep on him when he was regaling her with stories of Raphael's brave and often foolish exploits. She sat up, an apology ready on the tip of her tongue, and realized they were not alone.

Raphael stood in the doorway, staring at them with a mixture of astonishment and anger. Oh god, this probably didn't look good at all. "Raph-."

"Nice guys," he said, cutting her off. "Real fuckin' nice."

Alex watched him leave feeling as if her heart had just taken a swan dive to the pit of her stomach. Stumbling from the bed, she shot Leon an apologetic look and took off after Raph, determined to make him understand that what he had seen was not at all what it looked like. "Raph," she cried, catching up with him in the living room. "Raphael, please stop."

He ignored her, gritting his teeth together as he continued walking. He was too angry to even think straight at the moment and his confidence, needless to say, had been shattered. The last thing he wanted to do was face her.

"Raphael, please…just listen to me. It's not what it looked like!"

 White-hot fury took control of him and he spun around to face her. "Oh, so you weren't just in a bed with my brother?" he demanded, close to shouting. 

She shook her head. "No! Well…yes. But not-."

"Save it Alex," he growled, cutting her off again. "I don't even want to hear it." He shrugged his coat off and tossed it over the back of a chair before stalking down the hall to his room. He had every intention of slamming the door in her face or at least he had until he realized that she was no longer following him. So she was giving up without a fight? There was no way in hell he was going to let her do that. He turned around, surprised to see her standing at the end of the hallway, staring down at a piece of paper she held clutched between her trembling hands. "I knew it," he heard her say in a hoarse whisper.

She lifted her head; her cold blue eyes filled with angry tears and stared accusingly at him. "You fucking hypocrite."

Okay, he'd never heard her use THAT word before. That probably wasn't a good thing. _Say something you idiot!_ His mind screamed. _Defend yourself! _Regrettably Raph's anger and his common sense had never agreed on anything before nor did his common sense ever win when paired against his anger. Now was no exception. "What's it to you anyway? Seems like you were pretty busy with someone else yourself!" 

With a frustrated scream she pushed past him. "I told you it wasn't what it looked like! Can't you hear?!"

Throwing his hands up he followed after her. "Then why don't you tell me what the hell it was Alex?"

"God damn it Raph!" She whipped around to face him her eyes flashing dangerously, glistening with unshed tears. "I was trying to get some help on figuring you out!"

"Why?" he asked, some of his initial anger giving way to curiosity.

"Because," she started, making an obvious attempt to control her trembling voice, "when I have feelings for someone I like to know how they work and since you've got your…your ridiculous anger issues and your head stuck _way_ too far up your ass to even realize anything I had to go to the next reliable source. And yes, maybe I should have talked to you but you were too busy avoiding me for no damn reason!!" Hastily brushing tears from her face she drew a shuddering breath. "Happy now?!"

He reached for her. "Alex-."

"No," she whispered, pulling away and retreating to the safety of her room.

The door slammed shut and Raphael winced as if he had been struck. Damn. How had he gotten himself into this mess? "_Happy now_?" her words echoed in his mind, the voice raw, angry, and above all…hurt. Was he happy? She had just told him that she liked him…she wanted to get to know him better. He couldn't remember a time in his life when he had been more miserable then he was now.     


	8. Chapter 7

Authors Notes: Whoorah. An update. How many of you are thinking "about damn time"? * Frowns at unimpressive amount of raised hands * Oh…come on. That's it?? * Mike and Don raise their hands in the back* Always good to have back up! Okay, so on we go. This chapter is where things get not only intense but downright hot. Punker hun, this is where I prove to you that I can do better. Hope you enjoy it! Because I sure as hell did! ;) So thank you to all of you who reviewed. As always it's much appreciated and you're all a bunch of sweethearts!! Thank you! On with the show! 

            Disclaimer: Own nothing! Nada…zip, zilch. Wow, zilch is actually a word. Huh. Imagine that…

Chapter Six 

****

Days after the fight between Alex and Raphael tension in the lair had escalated to unbearable. It was a record high for the turtles and they weren't exactly happy about it. Finally one dreary evening when rain fell from the skies in great sheets, pouring down through the sewer grates and filling the tunnels with the sounds of echoing splashes; when the thunder cracked loudly enough to be heard in the old subway station one individual, a born leader, decided to do something about it.

In the training dojo three of the four brothers sat, their shadows bouncing off the walls, thrown there by the flickering glow of several candles. Alex, the girl who had invaded their lives and hearts, was off at practice with Casey Jones as her personal escort for the evening. And Raphael was…well…no one really knew where he was. 

"So what are we doing here Leo?" Michelangelo, his orange-masked brother asked an involuntary shudder seizing his body as thunder rolled loudly through the sewers. 

"Yeah," Donatello threw in. "And why just me and Mikey?"

Leo cast an uneasy glance at the closed door then turned his attention to Michelangelo. "Mikey, you were there when Alex and Raph got into it right? Did you hear what they fought about?" he asked quietly.

"Not really, but-." He lowered his voice significantly and a pained expression crossed his face. "She called him a…a fucking hypocrite so that can't be good. Then there was more yelling."

"From him?"

"No," Mikey said, a smile playing at his lips. "From her. She didn't even let him get a word in. Told him he had his head stuck way too far up his ass."

Donnie was the first to recover from this startling bit of news. He snickered and Leo elbowed him lightly, also smiling. "As humorous as I find it that Raph got taken down a few levels, and by a girl no less, we still have to do something about this. Guys, she's distancing herself from us. She's shutting down and it's not right. It will only hurt her in the long run if we allow her to do this. We need to get her to open up again."

"I totally agree Leo. But how are we gonna do that?" Mikey asked, his expression now crestfallen, like a child that had just lost his best friend or favorite stuffed animal. 

"I suggest my sons," a ragged voice spoke from the entrance, "that you extend an invitation to Alex to join you in weapons training this evening."

"Sensei." Leo bowed respectfully to the aged rat. His two brothers followed suit but with less enthusiasm and not as quickly. They did not disrespect their master. Far from it. They just weren't as eager to please as their older brother was.

"So, like, you want us to teach her how to fight? Chick with a sharp, pointy object." Mikey rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his thick fingers. "I dunno about that Master Splinter."

The rat's smile was slow and secretive as he faced his youngest son. "I trust you will all be pleasantly surprised by the knowledge this young woman possesses. There is much about her that you do not know."

The three turtles shared a confused look. "What do you mean Master?" Donnie asked.

"You shall see," Splinter replied enigmatically. "Now, your brother is home. Alex follows not far behind with Casey. You shall teach her. Show her what you feel she needs to know in order to protect herself from the danger that threatens her."

Leo took a step forward, an anxious look crossing his face. "Do you think this will help…bring her back to us?"

These few words, spoken with a hint of uncertainty, erased the smile from the rat's face. He drew a deep breath, releasing it very slowly as he closed his eyes and mentally reached out for Alex, searching through the muddled tangle of emotions and thoughts for an answer. It was futile. Her mind was too cluttered. It would tell him nothing and he could probe no further into her psyche without her noticing. Sighing, he opened his eyes. "That I cannot tell you Leonardo. But we can hope and have faith that this approach with break down the walls she has built. I will meditate now. Good luck my sons."

They bowed again and Splinter left them, his gnarled cane making a clack-clack-clack sound as it struck the concrete. 

"Well," Michelangelo mused softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "This should be interesting."

*~*~*

Alex kept her head lowered, listening to the roll of thunder and the sound of her feet splashing in the rainwater that had formed a shallow river through the cavernous sewer tunnels. Her heart felt heavy, burdened by anger, pain and a deep sense of loss. She wished she could say that these feelings were new to her but they had been her constant companion ever since her fight with Raphael. She closed her eyes against the deep, heart wrenching pain as her angry words repeated themselves, tumbling over each other like verbal acid and echoing in her mind. God it hurt so much. Why hadn't they tried to talk it out?

_You were both too angry and too proud. That's why_. 

Alex sighed deeply. She didn't try to doubt the words. Why try? They were true and she knew it.    

"Hey kid, you okay?" Beside her Casey Jones placed a large hand on her shoulder, his dark blue eyes searching hers when she lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"I'm fine," she said a little too quickly. Her voice was high and tight and she knew it gave her away. She would need to be more convincing than that. Drawing from her inner actress she gave Casey a weary smile. "I'm just tired. Practice was a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"Yeah, but you did pretty damn good." Casey removed the hand from her arm and raked it though his hair, giving her a crooked grin in the process, his eyes sparkling like they always seemed to do when he was in a good mood. "I mean, the guys told me you had a great voice but I never knew you were _that_ good!" 

Alex blushed at his compliments, ducking her head and once again staring at the rippling river that stretched before them, murky and black…not so different from her current mood. Silence fell, broken only once by the grating of metal against flint as Casey lit a cigarette. When they reached the landing just above the short flight of steps leading into the lair, Casey flicked the butt of his cigarette back into the tunnel. It made a quite hissing noise, landing in a puddle of rain. "I'm going to leave ya here babe. Gotta get home to the old lady."

Alex nodded, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'll be okay. Thanks Casey."

He grinned and reached over to ruffle her hair affectionately. "Any time Alex. Take it easy."

She watched him leave and with another melancholy sigh turned and slowly made her way down the old cement steps. She wanted to go to her room where she could curl up and be alone with her emotions. No confrontations, no all night movie fests, just a bed and some silence. What she didn't expect was to encounter her four hosts the minute she rounded the corner and stepped into the living room. She came to an abrupt stop, stumbling slightly.

Leaning against the back of the couch was Leonardo and Donatello. Sitting in the over stuffed beside the couch was Michelangelo and standing in the doorway, leaning against the door jamb with an impassive look fixed on his face was Raphael. So much for going straight to her room. "Hi. Um…what's up guys?" she asked somewhat tentatively.

"Hey Alex. How was practice?" Leo spoke up, giving her a pleasant enough smile. Maybe a little too pleasant.

"Fine. What's going on?"

Leo and Donnie exchanged a look and Leo pushed off the couch, crossing the room to where she stood. "Alex, we would like it if you'd consider joining us for weapons training tonight. There's some things we could teach you so that, you know…you're prepared if anything should ever happen and we're not around to help."

Alex's crystalline eyes narrowed as she studied him. "You guys want me to train with you?"

"We would be honored."

She looked at Donnie and then Mikey careful to avoid direct eye contact with Raph. She was afraid that just looking at him would be enough to shatter her shaky resolve and she would end up a sobbing mess in front of all of them. Her gaze settled back on Leonardo and she nodded. "Okay. I'll join you."

She met them ten minutes later in the dojo wearing black work out sweats, white sneakers and a light lavender, form fitting tank top. "So what's the plan?" she asked, pulling her honey colored hair up in a ponytail as she walked up to Leo.

The blue masked turtle called out to Mikey and Don who were sparing in the center of the mats that covered the floor. The two stopped what they were doing and left the mats, leaving the floor open for Alex and Leo. 

"Choose a weapon," Leo said, gesturing to a large open cabinet against the far wall that held various weapons, each considerably lethal looking. She cast an unsure glance at Leo who simply gave her an encouraging nod. "Go ahead. We can teach you how to use any one of them."

Crossing the floor to the weapons cabinet Alex quickly contained her excitement. She'd been watching them from the sidelines for a long time now, wishing she could join in and now they were letting her! But it had been so long. Could she even remember? Letting her eyes wander briefly over the vast selection she chose her weapon. A _katana_. The moment the hilt rested in the palm of her hand a smile curved her lips. _Hello old friend_, she thought wistfully. 

"Alex?"  
  


She turned to face Leo, hearing the unspoken question in his voice.

"You sure you want to use that?" he asked.

"You do," she stated simply, not understanding what the problem was. 

"Yes but," he gave her a patient smile, "I know how to. Maybe you should start with something a little easier to handle, like the _bo_."

With a smirk Alex flicked her wrist, expertly spinning the blade at her side. She executed a few simple moves; mostly to test the weight of her weapon, to become familiar with it once again and then lowered it in front of her, both hands gripping the black handle. "Oh, I think I'll be okay Leo," she murmured, silently rejoicing when her "teachers" face registered complete shock. "I'm ready to learn now."

"I'm sure you are," Leo muttered dryly as he drew one of his own _katanas_ and dropped into a fighting stance, beckoning her forward. 

She waited for him to make the first move, her eyes alert, her body stiff and prepared for any sudden movement she would have to make. When he came at her she was ready for it. Her foot slid back to brace her for the impact and their weapons met with a loud clang, metal crashing against metal. Alex's eyes narrowed as she regarded her opponent, sizing him up. "Don't take it easy on me just because I'm a woman Leo," she said softly.

He blinked once, taken aback and then smiled at her. "Sorry Alex. I'm not used to training with females."

"Just don't let it happen again," she teased with a fleeting smile. She knew he was going to attack her again and anticipated the strength that would accompany that attack. She knew Leo well enough to understand how important it was to him that he honored the request of a friend.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and he sprang forward. Again their weapons met, the metallic clash reverberating off the stone walls of the enclosed dojo. Leo grimaced and tried a different angle but Alex saw what he was attempting and once again easily deflected his attack. It went on like this for several minutes, Leo quickly and efficiently switching tactics in hopes of throwing Alex off and Alex easily blocking each attack, her bright eyes ever watchful of his movements. They were swift and fluid, reminding him of the mornings they would do their _katas_ together. But why wasn't she making any moves on him? She was excellent with the katana, far better then he would have even guessed. She obviously knew what she was doing. So why didn't she try to attack him?

            Sweat dotted Alex's forehead and upper lip as she watched Leo carefully, noting the quick flash of confusion in his eyes. She fought the urge to grin, maneuvering her blade around his and slipping the tip of her _katana_ between his hand and the small disk that separated the handle from the blade. A simple twist and yank and her opponent was disarmed, his _katana_ falling harmlessly from to the ground beside them.

            Leo made a sound that was half shock, half amazement. "What? How-?"

            "When I was younger the _katana_ was my favorite weapon. So I was taught how to properly use it. The training was nothing big though. Just several techniques on how to block and disarm your opponent."

            "So where did you learn all of that stuff?" Mikey asked from the sidelines where he and his brothers had been standing, watching Alex and Leo in quiet astonishment.

            Alex turned her head but didn't look at Mikey. Her eyes clouded over, focusing on nothing as echoing commands from the past filled her head. They were deafening. They were so loud and she hated them. She hated all of it. A picture of a man cloaked in black, standing over the crumpled body of a young boy swam in her mind. She could hear the man shouting, his thick accented voice demanding the half conscious boy to stand. All around them students, people she had never gotten to know, stood, terrified eyes staring at the ground, afraid to see the boys punishment for not immediately obeying yet knowing that if they chose to turn away they would receive their own punishment and it may just be worse. 

            "Alex." Leo shook her gently.

            She lifted her bleary, unfocused gaze to the mutant turtle before her.

            "You don't have to tell us anything," he reassured her softly. 

            "I know." Straightening her shoulder is a show of false bravado she forced the morbid thoughts from her mind and gave Leo a lop-sided grin. "Did I surprise you?"

            He returned her grin, slipping his weapon into the holder at his back. "Honestly? Yeah, you did. You said you were only taught to defend yourself and disarm your enemy. Why weren't you taught anything else like basic attack moves?"

            Although the smile remained on her face, her eyes became hard, flashing like cold blue diamonds. "I didn't want to be taught. I had no stomach for killing or seriously hurting someone."

            "And what if you had to?"

            Alex whipped around at the sound of Raphael's voice behind her. He looked as arrogant as ever, standing there with his muscular arms crossed over his chest, a cynical smile twisting his lips. There was a challenge burning in his eyes. He was daring her to fight him.

            So this was how it was going to be? Instead of talking like two civilized adults he wanted to fight. She sighed softly, knowing deep down that she should have seen this coming a mile away. All around her she could feel nothing but apprehension. _Thick enough to cut with a damn knife_, she thought. Leo, Donnie and Mikey waited with their eyes fixed on Raph, waiting to see what he would do but not stopping him. And Alex knew why. They wanted her to learn. They wanted her to be able to fight back, to take care of herself. And who better to teach her then Mr. I'm-too-brutal-for-my-own-good Raphael? 

            With renewed determination Alex gripped the handle of her _katana_. "Alright then," she whispered, wishing she could hate his guts right now. He damn well deserved her hate…yet she couldn't manage to give it to him. "Let's at least make this fair," she said and held her hand out next to her, palm up. "Leonardo?"

            The weight of another _katana_, this one only slightly heavier then the one she already held, fell into her open palm. She wanted to say something big, something they would say in movies at a time like this like "bring it on asshole," or something along those lines but she had a feeling that taunting the beast wouldn't be the greatest of ideas. And as it turned out she wouldn't have had time for witty one-liners even if she had thought of a good one. The moment she had her second weapon ready he was on her.

            Swallowing a startled gasp she countered his attack, bringing her weapons up quickly and catching his _sais_ mere inches from her face. The guy was insane! What had she gotten herself into?

            "Gotta be quicker then that," he growled, pushing her back, forcing her to her knees. Alex relaxed her arms, allowing his weapons to draw closer to her face. The action caught Raph off guard and just as she had expected him to, he pulled back to avoid hurting her. 

            Anger coursing through her veins, drowning out any emotional pain she felt from his unexpected attack, Alex pushed her shoulders back and glared at Raph, letting him see how much she disliked him at that moment. "It's not good to have emotional attachments to your enemy. It complicates things," she said, not giving a damn if she pissed him off. There was no way he could be angrier then she was right now. She was practically swimming in her rage, doing the backstroke through a thick sticky sea of fury.

            He came at her again, a little harder this time. What she had said had struck a vein. Maybe an artery. She caught his _sai_ with her _katana,_ twisting it and forcing him to back off. He brought down the other one. This too was caught, just as easily but he had the advantage and he knew it. "Too clumsy Alex," he said and started pushing down again, just like last time, forcing her towards the floor. 

Alex didn't attempt to go limp again. He was probably expecting that. Instead she fought back, pushing against him, her arms trembling with exertion. The floor came an inch closer and Alex frantically thought for a way out. God, what was it that always got Mikey out of this situation? What move? What was it that she had seen him pull so many times? OH! Alex suddenly jerked to the side, ducking under Raph's arm and pulling her weapons free of his. She hastily dropped one katana, planting her hand on the back of his shell and giving him a hard shove. He recovered and whirled around to face her, anger clearly written on his face. "Too slow Raphael," she muttered, daring to smirk at him. 

What happened next happened so quickly that Alex had no time to react. Raph leapt at her, bringing his foot up in front of him. It connected solidly with her shoulder and sent her flying backwards. She landed hard against the mats, the air leaving her lungs in a sudden rush, her elbow throbbing. She rolled over to her stomach, gasping for air. Why did he do that? What the hell was wrong with him?! 

Fighting to control her emotions, she pushed up to all fours and searched the room for Leo. He stood in the corner talking quietly to Don and Mike. Had none of them even seen that? They must not have or they would be trying to stop Raph right about now. Her eyes came to rest on the _katana_ she had dropped in mid flight and she scrambled for it, not wasting a second to see where her enemy was. Surely she would find out soon enough. Once she had the weapon in her hands she sprang to her feet and whipped around. He was standing there, waiting for her. _Well your wait's over jerk,_ she though viciously, wanting to hurt him more than anything.

"You're insane, you know that?" she growled at him, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "A freakin' head case."

He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. Actions spoke louder then words. He lunged at her again and she did the only thing she could do, she blocked him, going down on one knee and bringing the katana over her head, catching Raph's _sais_ as they came for her. Only after the ominous hiss of clashing metal had subsided did she look up and only then did she fully realize what she was up against. She stared into Raph's eyes. Raph's dark, vacant eyes. Terror seized her in its icy grip. This wasn't Raphael. Something had happened, something bad. Something that had driven away his reasoning, his sense and replaced it with a hideous, bloodthirsty beast. And that beast wanted her. It wanted her dead. 

Truly afraid now, Alex dislodged her weapon from his and staggered backwards, trying to get as far away from him as possible before he did her some real harm. With a sadistic smile he stalked her, waiting for his moment, watching her, wanting her. 

"Raphael, please stop," she begged. But he didn't. He came at her again and she fought him, hysterical tears welling up in her eyes. Every blow became harder to deflect, each of them becoming more brutal. Her legs started to tremble in their efforts to hold her up under his vicious onslaught and her arms were well on their way to giving out completely. Yet she fought on, knowing it was the only thing keeping her alive. She twisted to get away from him and his elbow came down hard on her shoulder, the same one he had kicked before. She went down with a loud cry. 

Across the room Leo's head snapped up and he stared in horror at his brother who now loomed above a very battered and scared looking Alex. He reacted quickly, drawing his _katanas_ as he ran to Alex and Raph. His brother had snapped again. It had been so long since the last time he had done this…so long that they had stopped worrying about his sudden bouts of uncontrollable anger. How stupid of them. 

"Leo! What happened?!" Mike shouted, a note of panic lacing his voice.

"He lost it again, Mikey. Hurry guys! I'm going to need your help."

Alex heard Leo's approach from her prone position on the floor but it did nothing to calm her. The way things were looking right now it was going to take more than just the other three to stop the thing that now inhabited Raphael. She stared up at him with terror filled eyes, tears streaking down her flushed, sweaty cheeks. "Raph. It's me, Alex. Please don't do this," she cried. 

The cold metal of his _sai_ touched her cheek and she jumped, a strangled cry escaping her lips. "Leo, do something!" she screamed.

Hands appeared over Raph's shoulders and started dragging him back. He fought, the crazed animal that had taken him over intent on getting what it wanted. In a final effort he swung his _sai_ down and caught her in the chin, scraping the delicate skin and leaving a red welt upon her jawbone. 

"Raph that's enough!" Leo shouted, yanking the red masked turtle back and throwing him against Don who held the raging turtle fast as Leo doubled up his fist and sent it flying into Raph's face. 

The sucker punch was just what was needed to bring Raph back to his normal self. His hand instantly lifted to his face, settling on the spot Leonardo had struck. "Jesus Leo, what the fuck was that for?" he yelled, jerking free of Don's hold and glaring at his oldest brother. 

"You lost it again," Leo said through clenched teeth, looking very much like he wanted to strike Raph again.

"Lost it? What the hell do you mean I-." His voice drifted away as the sound of gentle sobbing penetrated his foggy senses. Dread welling up inside of him at an alarming rate, Raph turned his head and stared down. Alex was curled up in the fetal position on the mats, holding her jaw with a shaking hand. Slowly, she pushed herself up and stared at him with frightened, accusing eyes. "Oh no…Alex," he tried to say something, anything but the words wouldn't come. What had he done? He watched her stagger to her feet and run for the door, throwing it open and disappearing. 

Mike took a few steps after her and turned on his brother, his dark chocolate eyes which were normally so cheerful staring at Raph with smoldering anger. "I'm going to go help Alex. Don't you dare get near her until I'm done talking to her, you got that?" he asked, speaking to Raph as if he were a stranger.

"Yeah Mikey," he whispered hoarsely, "Yeah. I got it." He had to get it. There was nothing else he could do. 

*~*~*

With a first aid kit hanging in his loose grip, Michelangelo apprehensively approached Alex's bedroom door, unsure of what to expect. Raph had been completely out of line and had terrified the hell out of Alex, but how badly? Hopefully not enough to cause her to pull even further away from them. God, he hoped it hadn't come to that. He missed Alex. He missed talking to her and hearing her laugh and vegging out with her but most of all he missed her constant light-hearted teasing. Damn Raph anyway. The guy had the worst timing!

Knocking lightly on the door he waited for Alex to answer. When she didn't he tried the knob and, finding it unlocked, pushed the door open, stepping into the sparsely lit room. Alex was huddled in the far corner of her bed next to the wall. Her knees she had drawn to her chest and was now holding them as if her very life depended on not letting go. Broken sobs tore from her throat, sending her body into violent tremors. 

Wordlessly he approached the bed and sat down in front of her. As carefully as he could, hoping he wouldn't scare her even more, he reached over and gently laid a hand on her arm. "Lift your head Alex," he commanded in a soft voice, like one a mother would use on her children after they had just suffered a scraped knee. She did as he asked, although it seemed to take a great amount of effort. 'Probably doesn't want anyone to see her like this,' he thought as his heart twisted painfully at the sight of her. Her eyes, once a vibrant hue of the most gorgeous blue he'd had the privilege of seeing were now red rimmed from the tears she had cried and filled with more pain then he had even known existed. Her cheeks were a raw color of red, streaked with tears that had slid down her face and mingled with the blood from her newest wound. It wasn't horrible. Just a knick really, something that would heal quickly and hopefully not leave a scar. God knew she had enough of those already.

He lifted his hand to her chin, examining the damage as he tilted her head slightly to the side. "Mind if I clean this up for you?"

 She slowly shook her head. Her legs went down, folding in front of her and she sat quietly, her eyes never leaving him. Mike opened the kit he had brought with him and pulled out a bottle of peroxide and a few cotton swabs. 

"You know, this isn't the first time he's done this," he started conversationally as he began cleaning the fresh cut. He glanced up, looking and hoping for a reaction. Nothing. He continued cleaning. "I remember the first time it happened. Five years ago. I was on the receiving end of that one. We were just arguing over the remote like usual and of course it turned into a huge fight. Always does with Raph. I must have said something because one second he was Raph and the next…I didn't even know who he was but I knew he wanted to kill me. I could see it in his eyes. I don't think I've ever been as scared as I was that day in my entire life. Took Leo, Don and Casey just to pull him off and Sensei was the only one who could bring him back.

"When he was Raph again it took him a while before he even realized what had happened. Then he freaked out…muttered a bunch of stuff none of us were able to make out and left. Didn't come back for a week. When he did come home we all just let it slide, figuring he had punished himself enough, you know?" Mike finished cleaning her wound and tossed the cotton swab into a small wastebasket beside the bed. "Since then it's only happened a few times and they were never as bad as they had been the first time. I think that once he knew what was happening he started to fight back…or at least tried to. You know what else I think?"

"What?" Alex asked breathlessly, the light finally coming back into her tear free eyes.

He took her hand in his, giving it a small squeeze and smiling sadly. "I don't think it scares anyone as much as it scares him." He released Alex's hand and stood up wanting to leave her alone so that she could think about the story he had just told. He had done all he could do to make things right. The rest was up to Alex and Raphael now. "I'm going to go see what's up with Leo. I'll see you later, okay?"

Alex only nodded as she stared straight ahead, her brow knit in concentration. Michelangelo smiled and opened the door to let himself out. The girl was already thinking. That was a good sign. At least he hoped it was. 

Once the door was shut and she was alone again Alex released a ragged sigh and combed trembling fingers through her hair. She was still trying to take in the horrible reality of Michelangelo's story. God, poor Raph. She had no idea something so frighteningly terrible could happen to someone so strong. And she believed the part about him not knowing it was happening. The way he had looked at her after Leonardo had hit him…he looked so…scared.

Suddenly Alex knew what had to be done. This all had to stop. The silent treatments, the misunderstandings, the fighting…it all had to stop. And if Raphael couldn't swallow his stubborn pride then she would. What good was it doing her anyway? If anything it was only keeping her from the one thing she truly wanted.

Getting to her feet she walked on stiff legs to the full-length mirror and studied her reflection with a critical eye. She looked like…well, crap. Scrubbing at her tear stained cheeks with the palm of her hand she noted with mild amusement the bruise that had started to form where Raph had kicked her. Already it was taking on a dark shade of purple. It was going to be a beaut, a bruise to be proud of that was for sure. She was going to use that bruise to guilt trip him into doing stuff for her if they ever made it through this. A smile, a true radiant smile, her first in at least a week, brightened her face and after a quick fix of her hair she left her room and her pride behind her as she crossed the hallway to Raph's room.  

The door was cracked open, spilling a thin beam of light into the dark hallway. Alex placed her hand on the door, took a fortifying breath, and pushed it open only wide enough so that she could slip in and close it behind her. Her heart slammed painfully against her ribs when her eyes found Raphael sitting on the edge of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees and oddly enough, a rubix cube held between his hands.

_That's something Don should be doing_, she thought, feeling a sudden urge to laugh. Calming herself took yet another deep breath and said, "Hey."

He didn't respond. He didn't even move. It looked as if she was the one in control right now. The ball was in her court. She walked up to the bed and sat down beside him, joining him in looking at the brightly colored cube in his hands. She found it much easier to think clearly about what she was going to say when she was focusing on something other than him and how close he was at that moment.

"Raphael, I'm not mad at you," she murmured after several minutes of silence. "I understand what happened and I know you weren't really…in control. I just wanted you to know that I'm not angry."

Releasing a humorless laugh, Raph tossed the cube carelessly onto his bedside table where it clattered loudly against the warped wood and into an old alarm clock that read 11:13 pm. "I almost killed you and you're not angry? No offense, but that doesn't exactly make me feel better. Why are you really here?" he asked, forcing a biting anger into his voice. "What do you want Alex?"

She knew he wasn't mad. She'd been told enough to have him pretty much figured out by know and could tell that he was faking it. He was probably trying to scare her off. Too bad it wasn't going to work this time. "It's not about what I want anymore Raph," she said softly, lying her hand over his where it rested on the bed between them. He looked down at her hand and then up at her, his dark eyes meeting and holding hers. The vivid blue depths softened as she stared at him and her full lips curved up in a shy smile. "I know what I want. This is about you dropping the attitude so we can be together."

Her words were like a bucket of ice water being thrown in his face. He couldn't have heard her right, could he? Watching for some sign that she was just messing with him he was even more surprised when her luminous eyes filled with tears and the smile vanished from her face.

"I don't want us to fight anymore," she murmured with unmistakable sincerity. "I'm tired of fighting and I'm…I'm tired of not being able to talk to you." She looked away for a moment, gathering her courage, forming it into an impenetrable ball within her and hoping she would be strong enough to withstand any kind of rejection if it was to come her way. When she felt ready enough she faced him once more. "I like you Raphael and not in the way I like your brothers. There's something more to it then that and maybe…maybe I'm the only one who feels it but I am sick and tired of acting like I don't."

The immediate response to her heartfelt confession was silence and for one horrible moment Alex felt as if she were going to be sick. Raph dropped his gaze to the floor between his feet, muttering something unintelligible under his breath.

"What?" Alex asked softly. She was afraid beyond reason now. She wanted to get closer to him, to touch him, to make him look at her again so that she could look into his gorgeous dark eyes and maybe see what he was thinking. And at the same time she wanted to run before he could do any real damage. 

Finally he spoke and although his voice was low she could hear every word. "There wasn't another woman ya know. It was just some desperate lady who slipped her number in my pocket before she left the bar." Slowly he looked up at her, his eyes no longer clouded over with emotions that hid what he was truly feeling. "And there's probably never gonna be another woman," he lifted a hand, cradling the unhurt side of her jaw in his palm, "because you're not the only one who feels like that Alex."

She smiled tremulously. "R-really?"

"Yeah."

"I was really hoping you'd say that," she whispered, pressing a tender kiss into the palm of his hand.

He started to return her smile when he caught sight of the mark he had left upon her jaw. He sobered immediately. "I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't know-."

Alex placed her fingertips over his mouth and shook her head. "Over and done with. But…if you really want to make it up to me," she dropped her hand from his mouth and curled it around his neck as a sensual light turned her eyes from a bright sparkling blue to a smoldering azure. "I could think of one thing that would make it better."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" he asked, wrapping a strong arm around her waist.

He didn't actually need to be told and Alex knew that. She pulled him down and pressed her lips to his in a hungry kiss that she had denied herself for far too long. Much to her delight Raph was just as impatient and demanding at kissing as he was at fighting. His hand moved to the nape of her neck, drawing her head back and forcing her to open her mouth to an even deeper kiss. She did so with pleasure, pressing against him and moaning softly, her heart fluttering madly in her chest. He tasted so good. His kiss was hot and greedy and beyond passionate, claiming her, causing her to respond just as ardently, as if her very life depended on never taking her lips from his. A second later she felt herself being turned and pressed back against the soft bedspread, felt his weight upon her and welcomed it, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. 

Finally, once things had started to get slightly intense and out of hand they broke apart, gasping for breath and holding each other.

"Damn," Raph muttered with a breathless chuckle.

Alex, stretching beneath him with a delighted purr, smiled and rubbed his leg with her foot. "Not exactly what I was thinking, but it'll work," she said. 

Raph moved off of Alex and lay down on his side, pulling her close. She snuggled into him, her hand resting on his chest, the other trapped between their bodies. "Stay here tonight," he said, his voice a harsh whisper in the silence of the room. 

Alex nodded and placed a soft kiss against his neck. Now that things were good between her and Raph once more she started to feel just how much the days events had taken their toll on her. She was far beyond drowsy and could already feel herself slipping into the sweet unconsciousness of sleep. "I'll stay," she murmured on a yawn.

Waiting until her breath had evened out Raphael smiled, turned off the bedside lamp and pulled a blanket over them. So this is what it felt like to be really, truly content. Not bad, he admitted to himself as he started to fall asleep. Not bad at all.            


	9. Chapter 8

**Authors Notes:** Alright already, guess who finally updated? Sorry it took so long guys. The holiday has been major busy so far and last week I came down with a horrible cold that took me out of the writing game for quite some time. Then of course I had to wait on my editor who's so busy soaking up the sun in Hawaii that she forgets how miserable I am here in the 10 degree snowy cold. That's right Kristi! Live it up while you can! But I do have to thank her because she does amazing things for me and I don't know what I would do without her. Now…who wants to be thanked?

Echo (Kristi): You know how much I worship you and love your sorry ass already so I don't think I need to say much more then I've already told you. Okay fine, you're the best…I'm not worthy! 

Meathead: Glad you're still loving it! And hopefully I'll be able to heat it up even further. We'll see how creative my imagination can get when it comes to pairings that are not human/human. So far it's iffy but I'm sure Echo will talk me into it.

Lone Wolfette: If you were hyperventilating then…maybe you best keep a paper sack in hand…just in case! Thank you for the review!

April: Honey, it was perfectly fine that you vented. I fully understand where you are coming from. Been down that road several times myself. Anytime you need to talk I'll be here to listen. I've been told I'm good at it and will offer any advice I can.

Ramica: Good lord do I owe you a ton of reviews. But thank you for continuing to review mine. It means a lot to me!

Okay, now without further ado the story…and I promise you the next update will be up a lot sooner. 

**Disclaimer**: Own nothing but my own character. 

****

**Chapter Seven **

****

Morning dawned particularly early, bringing with it the chill of early winter. People took to wearing slightly thicker coats as they left their apartments to join the growing mass of bodies clogging the wide New York sidewalks. 

Below the city, underneath those sidewalks where people walked with hurried steps, passing through the fog of their own breath to escape the cold and get to work on time, Raphael was forced to a groggy state of consciousness when something pressed up against him. He slowly opened his eyes and reached an arm back to turn on the lamp perched on the bedside table. The warm glow of muted light filled the room, revealing to him the beautiful woman that slept beside him. Alex's brows lowered and she moved closer to him still. It was almost as if she was trying to curl herself into him. Goosebumps rose on her arms as she made a tiny sound of protest, snuggling her head into the crook of his neck and shoulder. 

_Must be cold_, Raph thought, chuckling softly. Moving carefully so as not to disturb Alex from her sleep, he sat up and grabbed a thick blanket from the stash he kept under his bed. He pulled it over both himself and Alex, tucking it under her chin. When that was done he twisted around to check the time. 6:48. Well, this was different. He usually never got up before 8 if he could help it. Even his brothers never got up this early. Which meant they were still asleep and probably wouldn't notice if he went topside for a bit. 

Struck with a sudden idea Raph carefully slid out of bed. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Alex's temple, whispering that he'd be back soon as he pulled the covers up around her and then left.

The lair was cold and quiet, the only sound being the muffled slap of his feet as he crossed the living room floor. _Donnie better rig up some kind of heating system soon or we'll freeze our asses off before winter even gets here_, he thought, grabbing his coat from the table beside the wall and putting it on. Somewhere in the lair a door creaked open. Raph went still and waited, holding his breath. Seconds later another door closed and the shower came on, the sound of hot water rushing through the old pipes faintly audible in the living room. Raph breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to run into any of his brothers, not right now. Too many questions he didn't want to answer, especially since none of them knew what had happened with him and Alex last night. 

Just the thought of the beautiful woman now sleeping in his bed put a smile on his face. Knowing he didn't have much time before all of his brothers were up he turned on his heel and left.

His journey topside took him to a vacant alley behind several small shops. The place had been pointed out to him by Mikey one morning while they were searching for a gift to give April for her birthday. Leave it to Mikey to find the perfect place; a floral shop that received shipments of fresh flowers every three days. Lucky for Raph today was one of those days. The off white floral truck sat in the alley, exhaust spilling from the muffler, it's back door wide open. Timing it perfectly, Raph waited for the delivery guy to disappear inside and made his move. Since he and Mikey had been using this place for years now they had figured out that the delivery guy was a real talker. He would normally go into the shop and not come back out for a good five or ten minutes which was more than enough time to get what you wanted and take off without being noticed. Raph took less time than that, snatching a long stemmed red rose from a bucket towards the door. He was gone before the deliveryman inside had even given thought to returning to his truck. 

As Raph returned home he grinned to himself. If only his brothers could see him now. They would probably doubt his sanity. Mikey would make some joking comment about how their hotheaded Raph had gotten a personality transplant. For once though, he didn't care what his brothers thought. 

*~*~*

Alex turned over in bed, her dreamy smile turning into a puckered frown when she realized there was no one beside her. She felt around blindly and then slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the light coming from the small lamp on the bedside table. Now why was that on? Propping herself up on her elbows, Alex rubbed the heel of her palm against her eye, attempting to clear the lingering fog of sleep. She was stretching her arms above her head and working the kinks in her neck out when she saw it. A single blood red rose lying beside the lamp.

A gasp caught in her throat as she reached over and picked it up, handling the thorny stem with care. "No wonder he left the light on," she murmured to herself, holding the tight bud to her nose and deeply inhaling the heady scent. A smile tugged at her lips and soon she was grinning like a lovesick teenager. The need to see Raphael hit her so hard that she was almost floored by it. Maybe she would have been had she actually been standing and not still in his bed, covered by his blankets, surrounded by his unique, masculine scent. Her smile widened and she looked around with eager eyes. 

His room was fairly simple, not nearly as complex as its owner. Aside from the bed there was a bookcase, sitting against the wall beside the door. On its three shelves sat books, a CD player much like her own and an assortment of magazines and CD's. Above it, taking up much of the wall was a Pink Floyd poster. Weights and various exercise equipment lay scattered beside the wall opposite the bed. Above those was a long scroll running across the wall with Japanese writing scrawled artfully upon it. Alex wondered very briefly what it said then decided she couldn't stand another moment of being away from Raph and shoved the blankets aside, jumping out of bed.

The moment her feet hit the floor she gave a startled yelp. Had it been this cold yesterday? She couldn't remember really but she didn't think it had. Scampering into her room Alex slipped out of her pants and tank top that she was still wearing from the previous night, shivering the entire time. She pulled a pair of jeans, socks and a thick gray and white knit sweater with long sleeves that almost covered her hands. After brushing her hair and lovingly placing her rose in a bottle of water at her bedside table she left her room in search of Raphael.

*~*~*

Raph was in the kitchen sitting at the table and watching Michelangelo dig through the refrigerator, his thoughts on one thing…Alex. He wondered if she was awake yet and enjoying the gift he had left for her. Or maybe she was still sleeping, her expression one of peace, her hair spread across his pillow like soft liquid gold. He'd sat beside her for a while after he had returned, watching her sleep, thinking about how he had never seen anything so beautiful or peaceful looking in his life.

"Ya think Alex is still in her room?" Mike asked, closing the fridge door and walking to the table with a carton of orange juice. 

"Nope, she's in mine," Raph replied without thinking. The moment the words left his mouth it took him a full twenty seconds to realize what he had said and when he did his gaze jerked up to meet Mike's. The younger turtle stared at him in disbelief; the carton of juice paused in mid-air. "What did you say?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"It was nothing, Mikey," Raph muttered as he dropped his head. 

"Bullshit it was nothing!" Rounding the table Mike pulled up a seat next to Raph and set the orange juice down. "Alex spent the night with you? I want details dude! Did you guys…"

He didn't have to finish the question for Raph to understand what he was implying. Out of habit the red masked turtle reached over and smacked his little brother upside the head. "Jeez Mikey, pull your head outta the gutter, would ya? Nothing like _that _happened."

"Well what did happen then?" Mike asked, too interested in an answer to act as if Raph's little "tap" had actually hurt like he normally would. "Come on! Tell me!"

Raph chuckled softly and shook his head. Sometimes Mike was just too damn eager for his own good. "Alright. I'll tell ya. Alex just came to my room last night to tell me that she…understood and that she wasn't mad at me, that's all."

"And," Mike prompted, not buying Raph's short explanation. 

"And," Raph paused and drew a deep breath. What would it hurt to tell Michelangelo? He'd find out anyway. "And she told me how she felt…about me. And I…well I told her how I felt. There, that enough for ya?"

Mike shook his head. "You guys made out, didn't you?"

Raph gave him a slow grin and Mike laughed. "I knew it!" He leaned back in his seat and stretched his legs out in front of him. "Kinda makes you wonder why it took you guys so long to figure shit out, huh?"

Raph nodded in silent agreement and folded his arms on the table. "So what's for breakfast Mikey?"

"Dunno," Mike said as he absently scratched his shell-covered stomach.

Just then Alex walked in looking slightly flushed and adorable in an oversized gray and white sweater. Her eyes, radiating happiness, met Raph's across the room and a dazzling smile spread across her face.

Mike looked back and forth between the two with obvious amusement. "Maybe Alex could cook for us?" he suggested, wondering if either of them had even heard him. They were so lost in each other that he seriously doubted they had. "Alex, you wanna cook for us?" he repeated, a little louder this time. 

Alex finally tore her gaze from his older brother and regarded Mike with a playful smirk. "Cook for you? Gosh Mikey, I'd love to but ever since last night my shoulder has just been killing me."

"Huh, wonder what happened?" Mike said and the two shared a laugh as Raph had the grace to look slightly ashamed.

"Raph hun, I'm kidding. My shoulder feels fine," Alex reassured him. "Besides, you're not that tough. I'll tell you what, how about you two start on breakfast and I'll make coffee. When I'm done I'll help you."

"Sounds like a deal to me," Mike said as he stood and followed Alex to the counter where an old coffee maker sat waiting. "What should we make?"

Alex's features took on a thoughtful look as she went to the sink and filled the coffee pot with water. "Hmm. How about sausage and omelets?"

Several minutes later Mike and Raph were making a complete mess of the kitchen as Alex laughingly attempted to show them how _not_ to slaughter an omelet. Receiving nothing for her efforts she threw up her hands and left the two to finish off their creations while she started the sausage and then went to fill two mugs with coffee, one for herself which she added amaretto creamer to and one for Raph. 

"Well…the damage has been done here," Mike claimed triumphantly as Alex handed Raph his coffee and he quietly thanked her. "I'll go get Leo and Don. Be back in a bit."

            Alex leaned back against the counter and sipped her coffee as she watched Mike leave, all the while achingly aware of how close Raph was. Once Michelangelo was out of sight her coffee was taken from her hands and she found herself exactly where she wanted to be…in Raph's arm. He kissed her as if it had been weeks rather then hours since the last time he had seen her and she melted against him with a tiny whimper, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hand moved slowly up her spine, pressing her body more fully against his, something of which she had no problem with. The closer she was to him the better. 

            When they broke apart, each a bit reluctant to end the intimate contact, Alex rested her head on Raph's shoulder and sighed softly.

            "Been waitin' almost two hours to do that," he murmured close to her ear. 

            She smiled. "Really? And here I was worried that you'd start ignoring me again."

            "Nah. Kinda hard to do that after you spent the night with me." He dropped his hand to the small of her back and smiled when she made a soft humming noise of pleasure. "So how bad is your shoulder?"

            Alex pulled back but remained within the secure circle of his arms, lifting her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "Not too bad."

            "Can I see?"

            "It's nothing Raph. Really," she insisted, now trying to pull away from him.

            His arm tightened around her waist and before she could even think about stopping him he grabbed the collar of her sweater and pulled it back to reveal a large multi colored bruise just below the collarbone on her right shoulder. It was a mass of ugly yellow, dark purple and a red tinted dark blue. There was no way a bruise like that could not be painful. "Jesus Alex! Why didn't you say anything?" he asked, staring in horror at what he'd done to her. 

            She shrugged his hand off and pulled her shirt back into place, covering up the nasty contusion. "Because it was no big deal. It's not like you dislocated my shoulder or broke my arm."

            "Yeah. But still-."

            "Raph," Alex said, abruptly cutting him off. She placed her hands on either side of his face and looked directly into his dark eyes. "It's nothing. It doesn't even hurt that much. Just forget about it, okay sweetie?"

            His expression quickly changed from troubled to bemused and Alex frowned. "What? What is it?" she asked, not understanding what it was she had said that had provoked such a response.

            "You just…called me sweetie."

            "Oh. I'm sorry. You don't like being called that?"

            With a slow grin he pulled her back up against him. "Actually…I do. Say it again."

            Alex laughed softly glad that, for the moment, he was going to forget about what had happened last night. "Sweetie," she murmured, inching closer to him. "Honey, darling, baby." With each endearment so moved forward until their lips were only a breath apart. A mischievous gleam lit her deep blue eyes as she pressed her body to his and lowered her voice to a seductive whisper. "Lover."

            "Mmm…not yet," he whispered back, taking it upon himself to close the remaining distance between them.

            A shiver of anticipation seized her as she surrendered to him completely. Was he just teasing her by saying "not yet" the way she had been teasing him by calling him lover? As her blood rushed through her veins, hot with desire, she couldn't help but hope that he wasn't. 

            Shifting her weight to one foot Alex brought her leg up, bending it at the knee and rubbing it against Raphael's. He spun her in a half circle, pressing her to the edge of the counter, his hand falling to her leg right above her knee and then sliding up her thigh in a slow caress.

            "Jeez you two! Get a room!" Mike exclaimed, walking into the kitchen with a smug grin.

            Releasing a startled yelp Alex jerked back and stared wide-eyed at the orange-masked turtle. _God, we are so busted_, she thought. She started to loosen her hold on Raph when his voice stopped her.

            "He knows."

            "What?"

            "Mikey knows."

            "Oh." Alex leaned back against the counter, enjoying the touch of metal that cooled her heated skin through the fabric of her sweater as she ran her hands down Raph's biceps. "So you're okay with it?" she asked Mike who was now at the counter beside them, dishing up his breakfast.

"Totally cool. And about damn time too," he replied, carelessly tossing sausages onto his plate. "That whole silent treatment thing you guys were pulling on each other was getting really old."

Alex laughed, reaching over to rescue an escaped sausage as it slid from Mike's plate. "Watch it with the food buddy. I slaved over this."

"I'm sure it was incredibly difficult to roll 'em around in the pan," he joked. "By the way, Don and Leo don't have a clue about what's going on between you two."

Releasing Alex, Raph grabbed a plate and helped Mike make the food disappear. "Wanna mess with 'em and act like you still hate me?" he asked, giving her an evil smirk.

Drawn by the smell of good food Alex joined them. "Don't you think you should give them a break after what they did for you last night?"

"You mean how Leo hit me? Yeah, I suppose I should give him a break for that," he said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"And besides," she went on, choosing to ignore his last comment, "I never hated you Raph. I may have been mad at you a few times but I've always liked you."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Mike gushed, adding plenty of faked sniffling or at least enough to earn himself a swift elbow in the side from a slightly redder than usual Raph.

Without waiting for Don and Leo, the three sat down at the oval shaped kitchen table and began eating in silence. At one point Alex got up and turned on the radio, keeping the volume on a low setting so that the music could only faintly be heard above the scraping of silverware against cheap plastic plates.

Finishing at the same time Alex and Mike went to the sink to rinse off their dishes. Before Alex had showed up the guys had never bothered to rinse, let alone actually wash the dishes. The only time they had ever gotten washed was when one of them finally grew sick of looking at dirty dishes. But now not only did they rinse the dishes, they stacked them and took turns washing them as well. Today it was Alex's turn. As she filled the sink with steaming hot water Mike chose to break the silence. 

"So how are you guys going to tell Leo and Donnie?" he asked, sitting down at the table again across from Raph.

Alex wiped her hands on a towel that had been looped through the handle of the cabinet below the sink and turned to face Mike. "No worries. I'll take care of it," she said with a careless shrug. "It'll be easy."

Leo and Don walked in only seconds after she had spoke. They were sweaty and looked absolutely exhausted. As they took their seats at the table Leo glanced back and forth between Alex and Raph, tension riding his shoulders and visibly tightening his muscles. 

Alex saw his apprehension and felt it as well. She was no stranger at all to this emotion from him. It had become one of the few quirks she had learned to live with in her new home. This time she ignored it, going to the stove to fill two plates and take them to Leo and Don. After that she filled a cup with coffee and went to the table, setting it down before the eldest turtle.

"Thank you," he murmured appreciatively.

Alex smiled and moved past him, making her way around the table to where Raph sat. "No problem Leo," she said, feeling his eyes watching her as she moved towards his brother. Poor guy was probably afraid she'd get attacked again. _Little does he know_, she thought, smiling a little. Without a word of warning Alex sat on Raph's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. When she felt his strong arms circle her waist she had to suppress a sudden wild urge to straddle his waist and kiss him so deeply that they both forgot where they were. It was a tempting image, almost too tempting and she was having a great amount of difficulty forcing it from her mind but somehow she managed, keeping a watchful eye trained on Leo.

After a few seconds had ticked by in silence she arched a delicate brow and asked, "Are you okay with this?"

A dozen emotions played over Leonardo's face; shock, confusion, understanding and finally relief. He clasped his hands in front of him as if he were going to pray and slowly, over dramatizing the action so much that Alex almost burst out laughing, rolled his eyes towards the heavens. "Thank you," he whispered fervently. 

This time Alex did laugh, a small giggle that made her sapphire eyes glow. "I'm going to take that as a yes."

"Jeez Leo, they way you're actin' you'd think you were the one gettin' in all those little fights with her instead of me," Raph muttered.

"They were far from little and if it had been me I would have had the sense to let go of my damn pride a lot sooner."

On any other given day a comment like that would have resulted in a fight but today Raph simply smiled and tightened his hold on Alex. "I'm gonna let that one go. You're lucky I'm in such a good mood."

Smiling, Alex shook her head and tried to change the subject. "Hey, where's Splinter? Didn't you guys let him know breakfast was ready?"

Don nodded, quickly swallowing a mouthful of food. "We did and he was going to come until he found out Mike and Raph were the ones cooking."

"Hey!" the afore mentioned turtles cried in unison, acting insulted.

"He's meditating," Leo said, "But we did tell him."

Alex frowned, chewing on her bottom lip. Splinter had never meditated through breakfast before. Come to think of it he'd been spending more and more time meditating since she had begun practice. "I think I'm going to bring him something," she murmured quietly, standing up. Raph's hand closed around hers and she looked down, meeting his concerned gaze.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She gave him a warm smile and nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just going to go see if Splinter would like something to eat." Leaning down she kissed him on the cheek and said in a low voice only he could hear, "thank you for the rose. It's beautiful."

"No problem," he whispered back with an arrogant smirk.

Making her way to the counter Alex put whatever was left for food onto a plate and left the kitchen. She approached Splinter's study cautiously even though she knew he was well aware of her presence. 

"Enter child," his raspy voice called out, confirming her suspicions. 

Smiling, she balanced the plate on one hand and used the free one to slide the door open. 

Inside candles lit the room and the heady scent of incense filled the air. Red and brown hues dominated the room from the large rust colored pillows scattered over the floor to the large ornate red and black area rug to the worn leather chair Splinter now occupied. The colors threw the room into darkness yet at the same time gave it a warm, cozy feeling.

"I brought you breakfast," Alex said softly, walking into the room and setting the plate down next to a mug of green tea on the wooden table beside Splinter's chair.

The aged rat studied her, his shining black eyes solemn. "Please, sit," he said as he lifted a hand, motioning to the ground before him. "I wish to speak with you."

Alex nodded and grabbed one of the oversized rust colored pillows. Placing it in front of Splinter she sad down, folding her legs and placing her hands in her lap. "You've…been spending much of your time meditation Sensei. Granted I haven't been with you that long but I get the feeling this isn't something you've done as often as you have been lately."

Making a short humming sound he lowered his head, dropping his troubled gaze to the floor. "Your feelings do not mislead you Alex."

"What is it?" she asked, leaning forward. "Do you sense something?"

"I sense many things," he said thoughtfully. He took his tea from the table and as he sipped he watched Alex over the rim, wondering if she could feel the changes taking place deep within her. She radiated joy and this worried him. It meant she was unaware of what was happening and he would have to warn her. It was going to upset her that was for certain. Deciding to take the long way around he set his tea back on the table and gave Alex a warm smile. "One thing I sense quite strongly is the beginnings of a relationship between yourself and my son. Is this true?"

A blush stained Alex's cheeks and she smiled, holding his gaze. "Yes. I mean…I hope so. I have such strong feeling for Raphael. I'm just…really glad he finally knows."

"You are also glad he returns those feelings."

            "Yes." She dropped her head, staring at her hands where they lay folded in her lap. "Yes I am. But Sensei…you're hiding something from me." She looked up at him then, her blue eyes holding a ghost of fear as if she already knew what he was going to say. "What else do you sense?"

            Splinter sighed, his shoulders and whiskers drooping sadly. "You will not like what I have to tell you but please keep in mind that my sons and I would never let harm come to you. As long as it is in our power to protect you we shall do so."

            The color drained from Alex's cheeks. "What….what are you talking about?" she managed to whisper, her throat and mouth suddenly very dry. So dry that it took a great effort to force the words out.

            "Come closer my child."

            Unfolding her legs, Alex did as he asked, crawling like a baby across the floor to him. Once she reached his chair she tucked her legs beneath her and laid her hand on his knee. Understanding that she was frightened he placed his own gnarled, furry hand over hers. "They call to you." 

            Alex closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "I know," she muttered.

            "And yet you have not told us?"

            "They…well…the feelings just stared yesterday. Same with the voices. But they weren't so bad. They've been much worse before. So I just tried to brush them off."

            "Feelings?" Splinter asked, cocking his head slightly to the side.

            Alex cast a nervous glance at the door to make sure she had closed it. "Don't tell them okay? I don't want them to worry."

            He nodded his agreement, patting her hand reassuringly. "If they are to know, it will be when you are ready to tell them."

            "Thank you." Collecting her thoughts and forcing herself to stay calm, Alex started to explain to the wisest being she had ever known things she could hardly understand herself. "I think Danny found something…a spell. I guess you could call it that. It was made to summon a prophecy. Since it was given human form and free to do pretty much whatever it pleased, the prophecy isn't exactly easy to find. You have to use the spell in order to do it."

            "And how is it that you know this?"

            "Because," she said quietly, giving him a smile so sad it almost broke his heart. "I am the prophecy. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

            "Yes. Although you denied it when you came here I knew. You bear the mark."

            Alex pulled her hand from his lap and rubbed her face with it muttering, "don't remind me."

            "Perhaps we should eat something before we continue." He picked up the plate from the table and offered it to Alex.

            "Thank you," she said, taking a piece of sausage. Sitting back she nibbled away, waiting for Splinter to finish so she could answer more questions.

            "In what way is this…spell connected to what you are feeling?" he asked after the omelet and sausages were gone.

            "Well…when used right it would more or less force me to the person. And it causes this really sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I can't even explain it. It's like…fear and pain…and this horrible deep longing and…and I hate it so much because it makes me want to do what they summon me for."

            Splinter regarded the young woman with slight pity, laying a hand on her trembling shoulder. "This has happened to you before."

            Her body jerked beneath his hand. "Once. I don't want to talk about it though," she whispered, hanging her head and pulling her knees to her chest. 

            "Then I will not make you. But I would like to ask you one question. If you feel such strong things when someone is summoning you…why is it that you do  not feel them now?"

            Alex turned her head to look at him, keeping it rested on her up drawn knees. "Danny's not doing it right. He must be missing something in the translation." She released a humorless bark of laughter and shook her head. "No one can translate shit right now a days." Realizing what she had said her head snapped up and she stared in mortification at her mentor. "Oh…I'm so sorry."

            Splinter chuckled softly. "You forget who my son is Alex."

            "I would never forget your son," she murmured, a slow wistful smile transforming her face.

            Even in his old age, when he thought he had seen it all, Splinter was pleasantly surprised. He would have never guessed that his most restless son, the one who's anger he had feared would soon overcome him, would be the first to win a woman's heart. Yet here was the proof sitting right before him. There was no doubt this woman's heart belonged to Raphael. "If I may suggest my child…that for now you put this troublesome situation from your mind. If Danny is unsuccessful in summoning you then you have nothing to fear. For now focus on enjoying your time here. As for Danny…we shall cross that bridge when and if we ever come upon it."

            "I think that would be a very good idea," Alex said, straightening.

            "And much easier now that you and Raphael have come to an understanding,"

            "Much," Alex agreed, laughing as she got to her feet. On impulse she gently wrapped her arms around Splinter's frail body. "Thank you. I can't find the words to explain how grateful I am that I have someone to talk to about this."

            Splinter lifted and arm and patted her back softly. "I may have one ear but it is always open should you choose to use it."

            "I'm going to hold you to that," she said, pulling back and smiling down at him. "But right now I'm going to make sure your kids didn't destroy the kitchen."

            Splinter watched her retreating form and as soon as the door slid shut his smile faltered. A deep sigh ruffled his whiskers and once again his shoulders sagged. He remembered the last troubled youth he'd offered his ear to. It was greatly depressing to know that it was that youth who was now a danger to them. One that was far stronger then any of them even realized.     


	10. Chapter 9

**Authors Notes:** I'm truly sorry this one took so long guys! I've had a hectic few weeks. The boyfriend was in a car accident, I had to spend an entire weekend with NO computer making sure my sister was not bored and helping my folks take care of a German Shepard puppy (they are the cutest damn things!) So thank you all for reading and being patient! I hope it was worth the wait! Happy Holidays!

Disclaimer: I do not and will not ever own anything to do with NT's. I'm not that lucky. My character, Alex, is mine so please ask should you ever get the itch to use her. Oh, and any products or brand names used in this story I also do not own!

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**Chapter Eight**

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            "Oh come on Leo! I was watching that. Please don't turn in!"

            "Yeah, but Alex…the news is going to be on in five minutes."

            "And it'll be on again a few hours from now. They always replay the news. Please Leo? I just want to finish watching this movie and then you can have the TV. I promise."

            Raphael barley managed to keep the smirk off his face as he listened to his brother and…well, unofficial girlfriend gently argue over the TV. So far she was winning and he found that hilarious. Especially considering that if it were him instead of Alex, Leo would already have the remote by now and Raph would be off trying to kill some inadequate object…and Alex knew that. She also knew that the movie has been his choice and was now lying to Leo just so he could finish watching the movie. 

            Finally Leo relented, smiling and releasing a small sigh. "Alright. You win," he muttered good-naturedly, "I wanted to train anyway."

            "Thanks Leo! I'll let you know when the movies over," she called to him as he walked to the training dojo. Then she turned her attention to the TV, making a disgusted face. "How can you watch this crap?" she asked.

            Sitting beside her on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table and his arms crossed loosely over his chest, Raphael chuckled softly. "It's a lot better than some stuff I've seen." He threw her a sideways glance. "What exactly do you consider quality entertainment?"

            She thought about it for a minute and then slowly started to smile. "A good romance."

            "Well," Raph murmured, focusing his attention on the movie, "I've already got a good romance."

            Alex's heart melted. "Oh Raph," she whispered, snuggling up against him and laying her an arm over his plastron covered waist. "You're brothers have no clue how sweet you really are, do they?"

            Uncrossing his arms, he wrapped one around her and dropped the other over where hers lay across his stomach. "I'm just good at keepin' secrets I guess."

            They sat in silence for several minutes watching the TV but not really paying attention. After last night things naturally weren't the same between them. The innocent flirting, the toying with the idea of a relationship…that was all pretty much over. Same with the silent treatments and the sleepless nights spent wondering what the other was thinking. The only problem now was that neither of them really knew what was next.

            "Hey Raph?"

            "Yeah."

            She turned her head so that she could look up at him. "What do you think about…well…this?"

            "This?"

            "Um…" A deep red blush stained her cheeks and she shifted uncomfortably, sitting up. "I mean us," she stated bluntly, watching him for a reaction. "Is it weird for you?"

            He regarded her with a small grin. "Depends on what you mean by us."

            "Hmm, good point." Alex slumped back against the couch frowning. "I'm not sure what I mean by us."

            "Well, I think," Raph drawled, reaching for her hand and pulling her back to him, "that you wanna be my girlfriend."

            She laughed as she eagerly returned to his embrace. "And I think its _you_ who wants me to be your girlfriend."

            "That would be nice."

            Nodding, Alex rested her head on his shoulder. "Can't say I would mind," she murmured, eyes on the TV. "You didn't answer my question though."

            "What question?" he asked, running his hand over her sleek blond hair. 

            "Is it weird for you?"

            "Different," he replied thoughtfully after a moments hesitation, "I wouldn't call it weird though. I've just never been…ahh…" his voice faltered as his face grew warm. Suddenly the guy how always had something to say couldn't think of the right words.

            Alex looked up at him, smiling at his obvious discomfort. He was so cute when he was nervous. "You've never been someone's boyfriend before?" she offered softly.

            "Yeah, that's the word."

            She laughed, curling up beside him and pulling a blanket that had been tossed at the edge of the couch over herself and Raphael. Despite the warmth that his body provided, that didn't change the fact that winter was coming and it was starting to get very cold out.

            "Hey, this doesn't mean I'm gonna have to change for you, does it?" Raph asked, eying her suspiciously.

            "No sweetie. You lucked out. I'm not that kind of woman. You'll just have to…do a few things for me."

            The comment caused him to pull away slightly. "Such as?" he asked, his eyes narrowing further.

            Alex sat up, draping her arm across the back of the couch behind his shoulders as she playfully returned his glare. "Oh you're just going to hate me," she purred. "Lets see…I'm going to need more cuddles, a few nights out of the week sleeping next to you…possibly every night and…oh yeah, a hell of a lot more really good kisses."

            A look of feigned revulsion crossed his face. "Holy shit…anything but that!"

            "You're so funny, "Alex grumbled, resisting a smile as she lightly shoved him. 

            Using that ninja speed that she so often cursed, Raph grabbed her wrist and pulled. He curled his other arm around her waist, flipping her and in a matter of seconds she was on her back, taking up the length of the couch. He lay beside her to the outside, trapping her slim body between his and the back of the couch.

            "What are you doing?" Alex asked, staring at him intently, her hands gripping his shoulders.

            "Well…the way I see it I've got all these crazy needs that I have to see to…why not start workin' on 'em now?"

            "Because one of your brothers might walk in," she said, sounding not at all convincing. She contradicted her own words by wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him close.

            Raphael smiled down at her, his heart thudding a mile per minute beneath his ribs. "You don't really look like you care."

            "Oh, I did," she replied in a smoky whisper, "until I remembered how good it felt to be kissed by you."

            "That good?"

            She brushed her lips across his, smiling when she heard his sharp intake of breath. "Better than you'll ever know," she whispered, lifting her head and pressing her lips against his, kissing him hungrily. Needing more, she parted her lips to allow for a deeper kiss and sighed when his teeth grazed her bottom lip, gently tugging at the tender flesh.

            _If I didn't know him so well I would never believe that he hadn't kissed a woman before,_ she thought as she ran her hands up and down his strong arms, feeling the muscles shift beneath her questing fingers. She pressed her body against his, trying to get as close as possible and he groaned softly. The deep sound caused a pleasant, quivering ache to spread through her stomach. Oh, how she wanted him. It had never been like this with anyone before…never. What she was had always gotten in the way. _Please don't let that happen, _she thought_, not with him._

            But fate had never exactly been kind to Alex and it wasn't about to start now. The moment she started silently pleading, Raph's hand slid under her sweater and came to rest over her scar. She stiffened immediately, her entire body going still.

            Confused by her sudden lack of response, Raph pulled back, staring down into her frightened blue eyes. "Alex, what-," he started to ask and then felt the smooth, puckered flesh of her scar beneath his fingertips. Knowing without a doubt that her fear was somehow connected with her ex, he brushed his thumb over the mark and said very softly, "That kid used you because of this." 

            She paused only a few seconds before nodding, closing her eyes against a wave of hot, angry tears. "Yes." 

Turning her head towards the couch, she opened her eyes and stared at the brown fabric, ashamed of the tears, ashamed of herself and what she was. "They usually do. Why have a girlfriend when you can have a god damn-." She clamped her mouth shut, not just to stop the words pouring from her but also to cut off the strangled sob now clogging her throat.

            "Whoa…Alex, it's okay," Raph said, trying to soothe her. But handling crying women wasn't exactly something he was good at. That was more Mike's department than his. _Well, you've gotta learn sometime_, he thought, ready to try anything to stop her tears. "Alex, look at me," he gently coaxed.

            Slowly, she turned her gaze to meet his. Her luminous blue eyes were sparkling with unshed tears and her expression was guarded.

            Watching her closely, he laid his palm flat against her stomach, covering the scar. "This means nothin' to me, okay?" he said. "I don't care what it means…I don't care what it does. The only thing that I care about Alex…is you." 

            A radiant smile spread across her face. It was as warm as the sun and far more tender then any smile she'd given him before. "Come here," she whispered, pulling him down and pressing her lips to his. Her body came alive, no longer lying unresponsive beneath him. Her hands ran eagerly over his arms, her leg rubbed against his intimate caress. Obviously he had said the right thing. 

            When Alex made a tiny sound of impatience, arching her back and pressing against his palm which still lay over her scar, Raph smiled and slid his hand up over the quivering muscles of her stomach, over the soft skin covering her delicate ribs-.

            "Please Leo! I just want to finish watching this movie and then you can have the TV. I promise!" a voice said right above them.

            They both jumped, Alex throwing Raph off balance and sending him toppling off the couch. "Mikey!" Alex yelled, sparing the orange-masked turtle who was laughing uproariously as he gripped the back of the couch a quick glare before turning to Raph. "Oh honey, are you okay?"

            "Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, getting up and sitting beside her on the couch. "I'm fine. Nice timing smart ass," he said to Mike, also glaring at him.

            Taking a seat on the other side of Alex, Mike propped his feet up on the battered coffee table and regarded them with a disarming grin. "If you don't want to get caught then don't make out on the living room couch when everyone's home. And you're lucky it was me that walked in on you instead of Leo. Or worse…Master Splinter."

            Alex tried to picture the expression on the aged rats face had it been him who had walked in on them instead of Mike. It didn't make for a very good situation at all. She felt Raph shudder beside her and smiled, knowing he was thinking the same thing.

            "Hey! Faces of Death!" Mike exclaimed, eyes glued to the TV.

            "It's almost over Mikey," Raph said, "and then Leo gets it. Alex promised."

            Elbowing him lightly, Alex sank further into the couch and crossed her arms. "Where did that blanket got?"

            Raph leaned forward and picked it up from the floor, handing it to her. "You cold?" he asked, looking uncharacteristically concerned.

            "I've been cold," she said, snuggling close to him, Mike's presence no longer bothering her. He had busted them a few too many times for her to actually care about him seeing them together. "It's not exactly warm down here and I'm running low on clean clothes. I'm either going to have to go to the Laundromat or run to my apartment and stock up on some winter clothes."

            "I vote apartment," Mike said, opting for the one that involved less time and, even better, less people.

            "What about an apartment?" Donatello asked, walking into the room and flopping down in the chair kitty corner from the couch. 

            "I need more clothes," Alex explained and then added, "Donnie, I know this might sound a little far fetched but…have you ever considered tapping into the ventilation systems or the gas lines of the buildings above you guys and building a fire place?"

            "I…well," his brows lowered in a quizzical frown. "No. But that's a really good idea Alex. I've been looking for a new project to work on."

            "Give up on the bike already?" Mike asked as he grabbed the remote from the coffee table and started flipping through channels.

            Don shook his head. "What's left is pretty minor stuff, mostly just detail work that I figured Raph could handle on his own."

            "Consider it done," the red-masked turtle inserted somewhat arrogantly.

            Rolling his eyes and smiling, Don continued. "Besides Mikey, this project is much more deserving of my level of expertise."

            "And if you get it done by Christmas we can hang stockings on the mantle!" Alex said cheerfully. A blush rose to her cheekbones as she realized how overly enthusiastic that had sounded. "Ahh…if you guys want to, that is."

            "You plan on stickin' around that long?" Raph asked.

            She looked up at him and her heart melted. Good lord, she was falling in love. "Yeah," she whispered, smiling at the relief she saw swimming in his dark, intense gaze. "You guys are kinda growing on me."

            "That's a disturbing mental picture," Mike joked, dodging Alex's elbow when it came at him. "It was a joke!" he yelped.

            Just then Leo walked into the room stopping any further beatings Mike may have received. He looked startled to see everyone sitting in the living room but he quickly masked his surprise with a smile. "Hey guys. Done with the TV?"

            Grabbing the remote out of Mike's hand, Raph tossed it to him. "It's all yours bro. Unless you want to go topside with us," he said.

            "Why are you doing that?"

            "Alex needs to run to her apartment for more clothes."

            Leo thought it over for a minute and then put the remote down on the coffee table. "I'm in. When did you want to go?" he asked Alex.

            "Well, I guess now would be fine," she replied. "I'll get my shoes and we can go." Standing up, she wrapped her blanket around her like a cape and with a very sheepish smile that clearly said, "I'm freezing my butt off, so sue me," she shuffled off to her room.

            It took her ten minutes to find her shoes (mostly because she had forgot they were in Raph's room.) After slipping them on she pulled a long sleeve shirt on under her bulky sweater and took her light fall jacket from where it lay draped over her duffle bag on the floor. She stared at the bag for a moment, trying to recall if she owned more then just the two she already had with her. Then, deciding it was better to be safe then sorry, she dumped what was left for clothing in the bag on the bed, slung the nylon strap over her shoulder and left her room.

            As she walked down the hallway back to the living room she hummed softly, thinking about how wonderful it had felt to be wrapped in Raphael's arms. She had never felt so warm and safe in a man's embrace before. _Maybe that was someone's way of telling me I didn't belong with any ordinary man_. "Or at least not a human," she mused with a smile, walking into the living room and right into Raph.

            "Well, at least ya didn't knock me over that time," he quipped with one of his usual smirks, which she now found irresistible.

            She smiled back, giving his new attire a quick, appreciative once over. He wore a dark blue coat over a red hooded sweatshirt, baggy blue jeans and a pair of DC shoes that looked relatively new. "What, no trench coats?"

            He shook his head. "Nah. This stuff's warmer."

            "Well," Alex slid her arms under his coat, hugging him. "You look…really cute."

            "I do, huh?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

            Alex tilted her head slightly to the side and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered, brushing her lips against his. 

            Across the room Don stopped tying his shoes and Leo paused in pulling his coat on to watch Alex and Raph, their mouths gaping. Sitting on the couch, Mike twisted around to see what they were staring at and laughed. "Better get used to it guys. They've been doing that all morning," he said as he pulled on a navy blue stocking cap with two orange stripes around it that matched the blue of his coat and the orange of his sweater.

            Adjusting his own gray stocking cap, Leonardo cleared his throat to get Alex and Raph's attention. The two broke apart, Alex casting him an apologetic smile and Raph glaring at him. "A little busy here Leo," he said, unable to keep the grin from his face. 

            "I couldn't tell," Leo muttered, zipping up his dark gray coat. "We should get going. It's getting late."

            Taking a step back from Raph, Alex studied the four with amusement. "Wow. You can hardly tell you're turtles under all those clothes. Where did you get them?"

            "April and Casey," Don said as they made their way into the dark sewers. "They started giving us clothes a few years ago for birthdays and Christmas."

            "Yeah, cuz some hothead decided to prove to us how tough he was by going out in the middle of winter unprotected. Idiot almost died of hypothermia," Mike added, shooting Raph a teasing smirk.

            "And that's one stupid thing compared to your how many, Mikey?" the brother in question asked.

            "We goin' by days, months or years?"

            Alex laughed along with everyone, silently congratulating herself. Had Mike made that idiot comment a week ago he might not have lived to see the next day. But now…now it was like Raphael had changed completely. Well, not completely. His attitude was still there, something Alex was extremely grateful for. She loved his cocky, self-assured attitude and his bad boy image almost as much as she loved the fact that he was a complete romantic and she had been the only one allowed to see that side oh him Attitude aside though, Raph had changed. Instead of getting defensive or starting a fight with his brothers when they poked fun at him he joined in, laughing and joking with them. And all it had taken was one tiny sacrifice of Alex's stubborn price, which, in her opinion, had been well worth it.

            As they neared the street where Alex's apartment was located an uneasy feeling crept over her. She tried to shake it, telling herself it was nothing, but it clung with fierce tenacity, forcing her into a state of over alertness. Something wasn't right. She looked at her four companions, surprised to see them looking so laid back. They had always sensed danger before her.

            _If they don't sense anything then you're probably freaking out over nothing_, her sensible inner voice scolded. Alex wanted to agree more then anything but that apprehensive feeling refused to let her.

            Sooner then she wanted they were climbing the ladder to the alley, entering her building and going up the flight of stairs to her floor. When she was standing before her apartment door, clutching her keys in her hand like a lifeline, the uneasy feeling exploded with the force of a volcano, bringing with it a deep fear. _Go back,_ it screamed. _Leave this place now before its too late! _ 

            Her body trembling with the force of her emotions and Alex took a step back. The action immediately caused her friends to jump into ninja mode, hands going to their weapons.

            "What is it?" Leo asked in a hushed voice.

            Alex stared at the door a moment longer, not knowing the answer to his question. If she had an idea of what was making her so uneasy maybe she could tell him…but she had no clue. Finally, she gave a quick shake of her head and forced a smile to her dry lips. "Sorry, I zoned out," she muttered, making the excuse as she slid her key into the keyhole and turned the deadbolt. Twisting the doorknob, Alex pushed the door open and stepped inside, flipping on the light switch beside the door and bathing the apartment in light.

            "Oh….my god," Alex breathed, taking in the sight of what used to be her apartment. Dining room chairs lay in splintered shambles, tilted on their sides and scattered over the dinging room floor. The circular oak table was split in two, leaning in towards the middle. Cabinet doors had been ripped from their hinges and smashed against the counter top. Her couch had been brutally slashed and lay upturned; beneath it the shattered remains of her glass coffee table. Artwork she has slaved over lay strewn about the living room, each canvas ripped beyond repair. Not sure she could take anymore, Alex turned her eyes to the wall on her right and her gaze came to rest on the mutilated body of her landlady laying beside the wall face down, her blood forming a crimson lake beneath her. Above her, scrawled on the wall in her blood was a message. _"She wasn't the only one looking for you."_

            A low, anguished moan escaped Alex's lips as her legs started to buckle and her keys dropped from her lifeless fingers, clattering loudly against the hardwood floor.

            Raph was there to catch her when she started to fall, gripping her trembling body gently. "Easy babe," he murmured, holding her as she stared in horror at the message Danny had no doubt left for her.

            "Raph, take Alex to her room and help her get her things together," Leo ordered in a low voice. "Donnie and I will check the rest of the apartment. Mike, find a payphone and call the police. Make up a story. I don't care what you say as long as you keep Alex out of it."

            Mike nodded solemnly and left.

            "Alright, let's do this and get the hell out of here," Leo said, turning off the lights. The last thing they needed was to be spotted by any foot soldiers that might have been posted around the area.

            As Don and Leo went to look over the few rooms of the apartment, Raph guided Alex to her bedroom. He waited in silence, leaning against the wall next to her dresser and watching her as she shoved clothes into the duffle bag she had brought with her. He wanted to say something to her but the words wouldn't come. Even if he could talk, he didn't know what to say. What did you tell someone in a situation like this? I'm sorry your psycho ex is stalking you? Already Raph had promised to protect her and he could do it a million more times…but no amount of promising would erase the image of the woman lying dead on the floor. Nor would it change the fact that Danny was a very real and very dangerous threat to Alex. One that wouldn't let a little senseless killing get in the way of finding her.

             Finally the silence got to him and he said the only thing he could think of, "Alex."

            She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him, her haunted gaze meeting his. Then it happened. Her composure violently shattered and with a wordless cry she sank to her knees. 

Raph quickly crossed the floor to her and pulled her into his arms, sitting on the edge of the bed and holding her as she let her fear and sorrow overtake her. "Why…why is this happening?" she whispered, burying her head in the crook of his neck.  
            "I don't know," he said, giving her the only answer he could. "I wish I did though." He waited until her sobs had subsided before speaking again. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Pushing herself up, Alex hastily brushed the back of her hand over her tear-streaked cheeks. "Maybe." She visibly collected herself, forcing away the image of her demolished apartment and dead landlady. Thinking about things you couldn't change would not help you move past them and that's what she had to do right now…move on. "We should get out of here."

They rose, Raph took Alex's bag and they went into the living room.

"What did you tell them?" Leo was asking as they walked in. 

Slumping against the kitchen counter, Mike pulled off his stocking cap. "I couldn't keep Alex completely out of it Leo," he said, keeping his voice low. "I said that I was her neighbor and she had gone out of town a few weeks ago. Told 'em I heard someone in her apartment and they should come check it out.'

"Now how's that going to work out if the cops start questioning her neighbors?"

Mike shrugged. "Not our problem."

Already sirens were wailing in the distance, drawing closer with each passing second. Leo turned to Don who stood to the side of the massive picture window, staring pensively through the glass. "Donnie, how does it look?" the blue-masked turtle asked. 

"There's two on the roof of the building across the street. They just showed up about a minute ago so I don't think they know we're here," he replied.

"Well, they're about to know something's up. Alex, is there another way out of here?"

She nodded slowly, still dazed. "A fire escape. It's at the end of the hallway, out the window."

"Alright then. Let's go."

After grabbing her long suede winter coat from the closet, Alex slipped it on and followed the guys down the hallway and out onto the fire escape. By the time they were in the alley the sirens were right on the other side of the building, accompanied by the sound of tires squealing and doors slamming. Red and blue flashed on the dark brick of the buildings surrounding the area. 

With Leo keeping an eye out for any unwelcome company, they made their way into the safety of the sewers.

"Lets wait here…just in case," Leo said once they were all down in the dark tunnels and the manhole cover had been pulled back into place, muffling the sirens low wail.

Pressed against the walls, surrounded by the darkness, they waited, wanting to be positive that they hadn't been followed. Alex wrapped her arms tightly around herself. She tried to will the erratic beating of her heart to still but knew it wouldn't. How could this all have happened? Her apartment…poor Mrs. Thompson…none of it made any sense. Had Danny done all those things to scare her or because he was angry? Did he know she had been there? Did he know where she was right now?

With a whispered curse she let her head fall back against the cold, damp wall, not caring if she was getting unknown filth in her hair. Her chest was tight with anxiety and her hands shook terribly in the deep confines of her coat pockets. _So this is what an anxiety attack feels like_, she though wryly.

Then, just when she thought she was going to loose it for sure, Raphael's arm slid around her shoulders and he pulled her close to him. She moved into his embrace willingly, thankful for his silent support.

"You okay?" he whispered.

Placing a hand on his chest she nodded, even though she felt far from "okay."

"Alright," Leo spoke after a sufficient amount of time had passed. "Let's get back home."

            Staying in the half circle of Raph's arm, one of the only places she seemed to feel safe at the moment, Alex let him lead her back to the one place left she could consider a home. 

            Though it felt much more like an hour to her they reached the lair within minutes and were about to descend the short flight of concrete steps when Raph pulled Alex to a stop. "You guys go on ahead. We'll be back later," he said to Leo.

            The older turtle stopped halfway down the steps and turned to face him, his expression skeptical. "Don't stay out too late Raph," he finally conceded after studying him for a long, intense minute.

            "We wont. Come on." Taking Alex's hand, Raph started to pull her down a tunnel opposite the one they had just come from. 

            "Where are we going?" Alex asked

            He glanced back, giving her one of his charming I'm-not-telling-you-anything grins. "You'll see."

            She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips. She did love a good surprise. She followed him down the tunnel to a dead end where a ladder sat propped against the wall, leading up into, what Alex could only assume, was a very, very dark room. She couldn't tell much more from the square shaped opening in the ceiling other than that. "Is this it?" she asked, resting her hands on one of the cold, rusted rungs. 

            "Yeah." Raph gestured towards the ladder with a nod of his head. "Ladies first."

            "Oh thanks," she muttered dryly, not at all happy about being the first to go into a dark room full of only God knows what.

            "Relax Alex, there's nothin' freaky up there."

            "Then why am I going first?" she grumbled, more to herself then to him as she climbed the ladder. Once in the room, completely unaware of her surroundings she could tell right away by scent alone that she was standing in a garage. The smell of oil and gas dominated the air, masking the underlining aroma of leather and metal. 

            "Where's the light switch?" she asked. 

            "I'm workin' on it. Patience woman."

            The hissing chink of a pull chain broke the silence and dim light flooded the room, shinning on pieces of scrap metal that littered the concrete floor, various tool boxes, all standing open, an old van with the sliding door missing and the hood up and a sleek red and black ninja bike.

            "Oh wow," Alex said in awe when her eyes settled on the bike. "Is this what you and Donnie were talking about earlier?"

            Still standing behind her, Raph nodded. "Yeah, that's the bike," he said, watching her reaction and feeling his chest swell with pride.

            "It's amazing." She circled the machine, running a hand appreciatively over the glossy paint finish, the chrome handlebars, and the black leather seat. "What part did you do?"

            Raph walked over to where she was standing, shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat to keep them warm. "Well, I helped Donnie piece it together. He did all the wiring and engine work and I did the paint job."

            "The detail is incredible," she complimented, glancing at him and smiling. "I never knew you were an artist."

            Her praise caused a blush to rise to his cheeks and he ducked his head. "I wouldn't go callin' it art. It was pretty easy."

            "How fast does it go?"

            "Not sure," Raph said, looking back up at her. "Haven't taken it for a ride yet. You wanna find out?"

            The look she gave him said it all. An eager smile spread across her face and her eyes lit up, sparkling with excitement. "Are you serious?"

            "Sure." Crossing the floor to a long, bench like table that ran the length of the wall, he grabbed two relatively new helmets and tossed one to Alex. "Where do you wanna go?"

            "Anywhere," she said, sliding onto the bike behind him.

            Raph nodded, pulling on his own red helmet and starting the engine. It roared to life, the deafening sound reverberating off the bare walls of the garage. "Hang on!"

            Alex did as she was told, wrapping her arms around him. With a push of a button on the remote garage opener the door opened, whining on its hinges, and they shot out of the garage, tires squealing against the pavement. A few turns brought them to one of New York's main streets. It wasn't exactly busy so Raph took his time, swerving leisurely in and out of traffic as he followed the street out of the city. 

            Gradually, buildings became fewer and trees started to replace them, their bare skeletal branches stretching towards the heavens. When the headlights of the last car following them dimmed into nothingness Raph grinned. Now it was time to have some real fun.

            He gunned the motor once and the bike jerked forward. Taking the hint as he hoped she would, Alex immediately tightened her hold on him, pressing her body against his back. Raph started to pull the accelerator back, watching as the speedometer made its rapid climb. Fifty, sixty-two, seventy-four, eighty. It was when they were pushing eighty-five that Alex started laughing, a wonderful clear sound that carried over the constant roar of the engine. 

            _Mission accomplished_, Raph thought, smiling. He'd wanted to hear the sound of her laughter all night. Of course he wasn't deluded enough to believe that just because she was laughing it meant that she was okay. It would take a while before she ever fully forgot the horrors that had happened tonight…but she was getting there.

            They drove for a while, the road passing beneath them with a low hum, the trees reduced to a mere blur. Finally, beside a small lake where the half moon glittered on the glass like surface, Raph stopped. Dropping the kickstand, he took off his helmet and left it to hang over one of the handlebars. 

Alex pulled off her helmet and handed it to Raph so he could do the same with it. After shaking out her hair she rested her head on his back, staring at the calm waters of the lake. A thin layer of ice had formed around the shoreline, stretching a mere feeble foot towards the center of the lake.

            "It's so peaceful," she murmured.

            "I thought you could use it. Hasn't exactly been a quiet night," Raph said. 

            Alex released a short bark of somber laughter. "That's an understatement. But thank you Raphael, for bringing me here." She tightened her arms around him, giving him a quick hug.

            "It was nothin'," he muttered dismissively, watching a lone heron coast over the lake, ignoring the cold water. _You don't belong here buddy_, Raph thought; _go fly south with the rest of your friends_. The heron, as if to reply, let out a low, mournful call and Raph smiled. It really was peaceful out here. It made him miss the long, lazy days on the farm with his brothers. Maybe they'd go there once winter was over, take a little vacation from the city. He could take Alex out to the pond behind the house at night where they could sit on the dock and watch the stars. 

            "Hey. You got awfully quiet up there," Alex half whispered. "What are you thinking about?"

            Twisting around, Raph looped an arm around her waist, picked her up and pulled her into his lap. She landed with a startled gasp, her legs straddling his waist. "Just stuff," he answered, enjoying the surprised look on her face. 

            "Just stuff, huh?" she asked, relaxing and wrapping her arms around his neck in a loose embrace. "What kind of stuff?"

            "Hmm…random stuff."

            "Like?" she pushed, knowing she could get an answer out of him.

            Frowning at the cold that had started to bite at his hands, Raph slid them under Alex's coat where the thick lining had trapped the warmth from her body. "I was thinkin' about this farm house we all went to once. Belongs to April. It's a nice place…real quite. I bet you'd like it."

            "Mmm, I bet I would too. I like quiet," she said. Then, giving him a coy smile, she tugged gently on the long tails of his mask, forcing him to tilt his head back, and she placed a kiss on his nose. "Know what I was thinking about earlier?"

            "Not a clue. What?"

            "This."

            Raph gave her a quizzical look. "Sitting out here in the middle of nowhere freezin' our asses off?"

            Alex laughed, shaking her head. "No. At breakfast…when I sat on your lap, sorry about that by the way-."

            "Apology accepted."

            "-I was thinking about…well, sitting like this…with you."

            A slow grin worked its way onto Raph's face. "So that's what took you so long to ask Leo if he was okay with us."

            Ducking her head, Alex nodded, feeling the telltale heat of a blush creep into her cheeks. 

            "Hey," Removing one hand from under her coat, he placed it against the side of her face, pushing her head back so that he could see her eyes, "you're really cute when you're embarrassed, you know that?"

            And then he moved his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her down, pressing his lips to hers in a searing kiss. 

            Succumbing to her passion, something that seemed to come so easily with him, Alex tightened her arms around his neck and kissed him back, letting the troubled images of the day that had haunted her fade away. All she wanted to think about right now was Raphael and how safe she felt in his arms. It was like nothing could harm her there.

            With one last, slow kiss they broke apart and Alex dropped her head to Raph's shoulder, resting it there while she waited for the pleasant dizziness to stop. Her fingers lightly drew tiny patterns on his neck. All around them the night stretched on, calm and silent.

            "Do you think he'll find me?" she asked after a while.

            Rubbing away the tension at the base of her neck, Raph shook his head. "Not if I can help it," he said with conviction. 

            Smiling, Alex opened her mouth to respond but the words died on her tongue as something cold and wet landed on her nose. Not even a second later another landed on her cheek. Sitting up, she looked around and gasped. Big flakes of snow filled the sky, drifting quietly to the ground and blanketing the earth. "Raph…look," she whispered, afraid speaking too loudly would disrupt the serenity of the moment, "it's snowing."

            "Sure is," he said, smiling at her child like exuberance. He moved his hand from her neck back under her coat and hugged her. "Kinda romantic, huh?"

            She nodded in agreement. "Very romantic."

            "Ya know…I hate to ruin this but we should get back."

            Alex sighed. Going back was the last thing she wanted, but he had a point. Pulling away, she looked down at him and smiled. "You've got snow all over you," she murmured, pulling his hood up over his head.

            "So do you." He ran a hand over her snow covered hair, brushing away several of the snowflakes that clung determinedly to the gold strands. Looking into her vivid blue eyes he was struck with a sudden urge to tell Alex that he love her. _Where the hell did that come from_, he thought, slightly alarmed by the idea. Why would he want to go telling Alex he loved her when he didn't even have a clue what love was? _Must have just got caught up in the moment.   _

Forcing away his scattered thoughts he kissed Alex and handed her the helmet she'd been wearing, waiting for her to get situated behind him and wrap her arms around his wait before starting the motor and taking off towards home. 

            The drive back to the city took much longer, mostly due to the fact that the snow had made the roads a little more difficult to drive on but, never the less, they made it back in one piece. 

After putting the bike back in the garage they made their way back to the lair only to find that everyone had gone to sleep already and most of the lights were out except for the one in the kitchen. Alex made one stop in her room to grab an extra blanket and then followed Raph back to his. 

"So are we going to do this every night?' she asked as she lay beside him in bed, one leg draped over his and her arm resting across his stomach. 

Rubbing his hand slowly up and down her arm Raph thought about it. He could see no problem in sharing his bed with Alex. In fact the idea held a lot of appeal. Go to sleep each night beside a beautiful woman and wake up next to her every morning? Hell, he'd have to beat the crap out of himself if he actually thought for one second it would be a bad deal! His answer though took too long and Alex sat up, giving him a stern look, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You're not going to go pulling the strong, silent thing where you go hiding your emotions from me, are you?" she asked.

Raph blinked at her a few times, thrown by her question and then he started laughing. "Damn woman, calm down," he said once his amusement had died away, "it's nothin' like that. I was just think' about how nice it would be to have you here every night." 

"Oh," Alex mumbled, feeling mortified. "Well, you can't really blame me for thinking that way," she quickly added, "You're the one who would always start the silent treatments after something happened between us."

  "Hey, in all fairness you started the first one," he accused, giving her a teasing grin.

She crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. "Yeah, well…the one you started was the worst."

"Tell me we're not actually arguin' about this." Circling her waist with one arm, he pulled her down on top of him. But she wasn't ready to give up yet.

Using a common female ploy that had worked on him once before, she pushed out her bottom lip in a subtle pout. "For a while there I thought you didn't like my kisses," she admitted.

"That's far from the truth and you know it," Raph said, tucking a strand of her silken blond hair behind her ear.

She smiled down at him, feeling a lump of emotion rise in her chest. "Yeah, I know." Leaning down, she gave him a lingering kiss, then rolled off him to once again lie by his side. Within minutes the two were asleep…and that's when the nightmare began.

It was cold. So cold there in the dark where she existed all alone with no friends to speak of, no one to hear her cries. That was all she could think of as she pulled the threadbare blanket tighter around her frail, numb body. How many days had she been locked in this tiny cell now? Four? Five? She couldn't even keep track any more. She could be scared though and at the age of nine it was an emotion that came all too easily for Alex. She couldn't remember the last fear free day she'd had. She knew she had been happy once though, but that was before they had taken her from the old woman who had cared for her. Before she had been brought to this God forsaken place.

_Sniffling, little nine-year-old Alex drug a sleeve-covered hand over her nose. She was too young to care that she was making her uniform filthier then it already was. The white shirt was stained beyond repair and the hem of her green and black pleated skirt had become severely frayed. But in all honestly Alex had bigger things to worry about…like Master Segatou. He was the reason she was in this cell now, being punished for her insubordination. Being punished because she had stepped left when she should have dodged right. And she didn't understand…she couldn't understand. Why was she here? What did she do to deserve a life like this…if you could even call it a life? She didn't have any special powers like the other children in the school. What did they want from her?_

_A commanding shout came from the other side of the door and Alex cried out. "Please…please," she whispered, although she wasn't exactly aware of what she was pleading for. Days with no food and little sleep had left her in a delusional state. She huddled under the blanket terrified, her little heart racing._

_Soon she could hear the sound of footsteps approaching and the rough, accented voices of men. They were so close. And then there came the sound of a key grating in the lock…her lock. The door swung open, squeaking on rusted hinges. Light spilled into the tiny room where she was held captive, partly blocked by the tall, robed silhouette of a man. _

_"Have you had enough child?" he asked in a raspy, feminine voice._

_Alex bowed her head and replied meekly, "If you feel I have Master Segatou." She may have only bee nine but she was a quick learner and had been with Master Segatou long enough to know that any answer given that caused him the tiniest amount of displeasure would result in a very severe beating. Sometimes, very rarely, the beatings could become deadly. _

_"I'm glad to hear this. Come with me," Segatou commanded, extending a bony-fingered hand to her._

_ A shudder of revulsion spread over Alex's body but she forced herself to stand and take the hand offered. If she was going to die it was going to be when she was an old lady. And she refused to die here as a prisoner._

_Segatou brought her out of her cell and directly into a wide courtyard. Looking back, she saw that her cell had been one in a long row of cells shaded by the overhang of the dormitories built above them. The other three sides surrounding the courtyard were brick buildings. More specifically, the school and Master Segatou's personal offices. The facilities were built like an old castle; tall, threatening and formidable._

_As they approached the center of the courtyard Alex noticed the eight figures cloaked in brown with hoods drawn low over their heads. They waited for them, hands folded together in front of them and covered by the thick fabric of their robes. _

_"Master Segatou," Alex murmured quietly, daring a glance at him._

_"You have nothing to fear Alexandria," he said with a note of malice. He looked down at her, his beady, black eyes full of loathing and greed. His thin lips stretched over his yellow teeth as he smiled, the canines very much resembling fangs, and his sallow skin drew taught over his sharp cheekbones. Again, Alex felt the nausea wash over her, joined by a deep fear when he spoke to her again. "Today dear, you will show us what great power you possess."_

_ "But…but Master Segatou…I don't have any powers! I'm just a little girl!" she said, shocked by his words._

_The skeletal man chuckled, a sound like dry leaves blown against the pavement. "Oh, but you do my dear," he said, tugging impatiently on her hand. "Your powers are greater then all of the student's combined, for you Alexandria…are the prophecy and today your full powers will be brought to life."_

_Before Alex could even attempt a response he shoved her forward and she fell in a heap before the cloaked men, scrapping her hands and knees on the gravely earth. Segatou started speaking in rapid Japanese to the men and when he was done one of them handed him an ancient looking scroll. "Get up Alexandria," Segatou demanded, grabbing a fistful of her already tangled blond hair and pulling._

_Alex bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying out as she stumbled to her feet. She was far more terrified then she had been in her life. Tears burned her eyes, her chest hurt from the sobs she was forcing back and her palms stung. She wished with all her heart that she could understand what was happening and why it was happening to her. She was a…a prophecy. She didn't even know what a prophecy was!_

_Behind her, Segatou had started talking again but she didn't hear a word of it. Instead, her horrified gaze was fixed on the man walking up to her. Once in front of her he stopped and gripped her chin between his finger and his thumb, turning her face this way and that and all Alex could do was stand there unmoving, her body paralyzed by fear. _

_"Well, is she the one you seek or not?" Segatou asked anxiously._

_The mans hand moved from her chin to the hem of her once clean shirt and he yanked at the fabric, ripping free four tiny buttons and exposing Alex's stomach. Finally, like a wild animal being freed from captivity, an ear-piercing scream tore from her throat. She tried to move away from the strange man, crying as she did so, but two others were suddenly at her sides, grabbing her arms and holding her in place. She fought against them, kicking and screaming but there was no use. She was only nine and they were grown men. _

_With a mournful sob, Alex gave up fighting and went limp, dangling like a rag doll between the two men. The one who had torn her shirt, the one she assumed was their leader, walked up to her and pulled aside the dirty fabric to expose the birthmark shaped like a flame on her side. "Yes, this is the child we seek," he said in a deep voice.                   _ 

            _Segatou smiled. "I was hoping you would say that. When we found her I saw the mark and was, at the time, just hoping it meant she was the one. I'm pleased to find out my assumption was correct."_

_            The leader made a humming noise of acknowledgment in the back of his throat and raised a hand, motioning to one of his companions to come forward. When he did, he brought with him a red-hot branding iron that had been burning in a small fire pit built behind the line of men._

_            "The birthmark needs to be replaced by the symbol and then the transition will be complete," the leader said, moving aside. _

_            Alex lifted her head slowly, feeling weary and defeated. She glimpsed the branding iron the second before it came down over her birthmark, searing her flesh and again she screamed. Tears ran in rivers over her flushed cheeks, the smell of her own burning flesh stung her nose and on and on she screamed until her throat was raw, until every child in the building was standing at any available window, their faces pressed to the glass as they watched they watched the horror taking place in the court yard. _

_            Finally it was over and Alex could do nothing more then whimper and wait for them to kill her. Surely that's what they had planned. It had to be. Why else would they torment her so?_

_            "You child, are a great Prophecy given life," the leader said to her. "Through your mother the gift was bestowed upon you when you were bathed in her blood and now you will do as we ask of you."_

_            Alex felt her heart shatter the moment the words were spoken. Bathed in her mother's blood? That meant her mother had been killed! A low moan escaped her mouth and she shook her head, not wanting to believe it. _

_            Segatou stood aside, watching in anticipation as the leader spoke his command, reciting the words that would awaken powers he would soon claim for his own. The child was his; he would not release her to anyone if she were as powerful as these men claimed she was. If it came to it he would marry the child just to keep her at his side. He was not beyond such measures. _

_            "Rise Prophecy and grant thy demands," the leader cried, lifting his hands to the heavens. He spoke then in Japanese, rattling the words off quickly and watching the child before him with avid interest. His fellow comrades joined in with low, monotone voices.  _

_Halfway into his recitation the clouds took on an ominous gray color and thunder rumbled, reverberating off the stone walls of the massive school. A cold wind picked up, swirling around Alex as she sat with her head hung. Suddenly her head snapped up and her eyes, now a glowing an eerie pale blue, stared accusingly at the eight cloaked men._

_With cat like grace she rose to her feet, her fingers splayed at her sides, her hair whipping in the wind. And when she spoke it was in a voice not her own. The voice was that of a woman, low and seductive. "You ask I grant what thy heart demands, you call upon this prophecy to meet your commands. But hear my words and hear them well, eternal life shall be granted to you in hell."_

_            And with that her arms snapped up towards the heaven. A small, electric blue sphere took shape above her hands, expanding to the size of a tennis ball and then it broke off into eight tiny spheres, each one flying through the air to the eight men. Once they were in place Alex dropped her hands to her sides and the eight spheres shot into the bodies of the eight men and for one second there was silence. Then the air was filled with pained screams. Each man fell to his knees, clutching at his chest, trying to rip out the very thing that violated them. Soon their breathing became tight and labored and their screams drifted off into strangled gurgles as each lifeless body fell to the earth with a dull thud. Each man who had greedily sought out the girl for his own means, thinking she would do as the Prophecy stated and grant them eternal life now lay dead in the courtyard._

_            Eyes still glowing, Alex turned to face Segatou. "I will be leaving this place and if you should say or do anything to stop me…their fate will be yours. Do you understand?"_

_            The scene then changed from the school courtyard to the enclosed junkyard the turtles had rescued her from. It was night and it was raining, large drops splashing against the pavement. Alex stood in her drenched coat, her blond hair plastered to her face and tears swimming in her eyes. Before her stood Danny, a sadistic smile curving his lips and next to him, his hands bound behind his back and a furious scowl on his face, was Raphael._

_            "You should have done as I asked the first time Alex," Danny said. "None of this would have happened if you would have just played the obedient girlfriend." Reaching behind him, Danny pulled one of Raph's sais from his belt and twirled it in his hand. "Hope you'll be able to live knowing it's your fault he died."_

_            Alex's scream of denial fell on deaf ears and all she could do was watch as Danny plunged the deadly point of the weapon into Raph's side. As his blood spilled from the open wound at his side, Raph looked up at her with pleading eyes…_

            In the real world Alex jerked up in bed sobbing, desperate cries spilling from her mouth, making no sense what so ever. Her sobs immediately woke Raphael and he sat up, alarmed to see his girlfriend looking so frightened. "Alex, babe…what is it?" he asked as he pulled her into his arms.

            She shook violently; choking on sobs that refused to stop. "I can't do this," she muttered, "I can't do this anymore!"

            "Do what Alex?" he asked, starting to panic.

            She spun around in his embrace and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him for all she was worth. "If I tell you…you have to promise not to tell anyone." She pulled away and looked at him, her pleading gaze holding his. "I can't do this alone anymore…but I don't want anyone else to know…please."

            Raph nodded. "Sure Alex. I wont tell anyone," he promised.

            Drawing as shaky breath, Alex pulled free from his embrace and crossed her legs, placing her hands in her lap. For a long time she stared at them, not sure what to say or how to phrase it so that he would understand. Would he even want her once he knew what she had done? But she couldn't live with a lie anymore and she trusted him enough to tell him. "When I was nine," she started, her voice hardly audible, "I killed eight men."

            She heard his sharp intake of breath and winced, but pressed on. She had to make him understand. "It all started when Master Segatou took me from my home and brought me to a school for specially gifted children. Children with powers he would force them to acknowledge and use for his own greedy purposes. That's where I learned how to use weapons like the ones you and your brothers have. It's where I, and many other children, were treated like slaves and forcefully molded into fighters. 

            "Punishments were always horrible and few never lived through them. It was at the end of my punishment, being locked in a small, dark cell for six days with no food, that they came for me. Eight men in brown cloaks. They…sought the Prophecy. They wanted to use the powers she possessed to gain eternal life. But I guess over the years the Prophecy became messed up and it no longer stated the actual facts."

            Taking several deep, calming breaths, Alex lifted her head and looked at Raphael, only slightly surprised to see his sympathetic gaze focused on her. "You see…these guys though that when sought out the Prophecy would grant them eternal life. They thought it was stated that she would come and grant eternal life to those deserving or those greedy enough to seek her out. But that's not how it went. The Prophecy does grant eternal life to those who demand that she use her powers on them…but it's eternal life in hell.

            "When these men came for me, they…branded me with this mark." She lifted up her shirt, showing him the symbol they had all seen the night they had brought her to the lair. "And they told me that my mother had been killed so that the Prophecy could live on…in me. And then…they-," she stopped, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth as horrible memories of her childhood once again filled her head. "They made me use my powers….and I killed them."

            "Jeez," Raph murmured, trying to take in everything he had just heard and stay as far from judging her as possible.

            "I didn't want to kill them," she said, "I was only nine! How was I supposed to understand what they were doing??" She shrunk back against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest as a fresh wave of tears sprang to her eyes. God, she was never going to be able to stop crying. "I was scared. I couldn't even think straight and when those guys started chanting…something took control of me. I couldn't stop myself from doing what I did. I wish I could have." She dropped her head to her knees, letting her tears flow freely. She couldn't hold them back now, not even if she actually wanted to.

            "Alex."

            Lifting her head, she warily regarded him through bloodshot eyes, expecting him to leave…and honestly? She wouldn't blame him if he did. Not many people were fond of having a killer in their room. At least not many that she knew of. "I didn't want to do it," she whispered.

            Raph nodded. "I know ya didn't. Come here." He held his arms out to her and Alex, relieved beyond words that he understood, threw herself into them.

            "Had to be a pretty creepy thing to go through at the age of nine, huh?" he asked once she had curled herself into a tiny ball in his lap and rested her head on his shoulder.

            Alex sniffled. "Yeah," she murmured in a small, tired voice. 

            "So what happened with that Segatou guy and the school?"

            "A year later I left." She released a deep sigh. She had already started telling him her story. There was no point in stopping now. Not until he had heard everything. "Segatou didn't try to stop me…mostly because I warned him not to. But I think by that time, he wanted me gone. I kind of…fell apart after what happened. I didn't eat, I couldn't sleep and when I did I would have these horrible nightmares that would…well, they basically pushed me right to the edge of insanity. I would have to be restrained and heavily sedated. So instead of working for Segatou, I worked against him and cost him a great deal of money in the process. I'm pretty sure he was relieved to see me go."

            "Where did you go after that?" Raph asked, listening intently to her story.

            " I went back to the old woman who cared for me before Segatou had come and taken me away. She was able to help me a lot. The first thing she did was help me sleep so for the first few days that I was there all I did was sleep. She would wake me up and every now and then feed me, but for the most part I was out cold. When I finally did wake up she told me everything I needed to know. She told me about what I was and how the Prophecy had come to be. She even told me about my mother and father. It turns out she knew them both very well and had helped them take care of me before they were…"her voice died off as a thick lump of emotion rose in her throat.

            "Both of 'em were killed," he said softly, knowing what Alex couldn't bring herself to say.

            She nodded. "I never even knew them."

            Raph held her tight, suddenly having problems controlling his own emotions. He couldn't believe everything she had been put through. It sounded more like a sick, twisted horror movie then the life of a nine-year-old girl. Unbidden, an image of that small girl with wide, frightened blue eyes and a mass of wavy, golden hair appeared in his mind. His heart clenched painfully and a deep sadness filled him. No child should have to deal with so much pain. 

            Forcing away the image, Raph attempted to switch the subject slightly from the past to the future. "So that Danny kid thinks you're gonna bring old Shred head back to life?" 

            Alex made a sound of disgust through her tears and shook her head. "I don't know how the facts could have gotten so screwed up. It doesn't state anywhere that the Prophecy can bring things back to life. The guy's an idiot."

            He chuckled softly. "What does it actually say then?"

            Lifting her head from his shoulder, she chewed thoughtfully at her bottom lip. "I can't remember it word for word. Its kind of one to the trickier Prophecies that doesn't exactly make sense. I can give you the gist of it. Long ago this written prophecy contained in an ancient Chinese scroll was given human form. A man whose daughter had been captured by a lustful Egyptian prince created her as a tool of vengeance. The daughter was to be the prince's wife but she wanted nothing to do with him. She wrote to her father, pleading for him to help her and his answer came in the form of a beautiful woman. She was a gift to the prince if he would only release the man's daughter and send her back home. Of course the prince refused but kept the woman and made her his mistress. 

            "On the night of their wedding the daughter sought out the mistress, knowing that she was the Prophecy given flesh. She proved herself to the Prophecy and in doing so was able to command her to seek out her husband and destroy him, sending his soul to hell. And that's just the story of how the Prophecy came to be in human form."

            "Pretty intense story," Raph observed.

            Alex looked and him and for the first time since she had woke up from her nightmare, she smiled. "That's exactly what I said when Hildy told it to me."

            "Hildy?"

            "The old lady who took care of me." Feeling a bit better, she continued. "Before it was given human form the Prophecy stated that any man or woman who should come across the ancient scroll containing the words of the Prophecy and was found to have a pure and worthy soul would be granted the ability to command the Prophecy to use its powers and kill off the evil that haunted them, whether it be an ex lover, a person causing them a great deal of pain…or, sometimes, themselves. The purpose of the Prophecy was to destroy evil and put it where it belonged."

            "In hell."

            Alex nodded. "That's how it works. That's what I was made to do."

            "How'd you get stuck with a crappy job like that?" Raph asked.

            Grinning, she rubbed the few remaining tears from her cheeks and said, "It happens when you're the great, great, great, great grand daughter of the prince's mistress."

            With a sigh, Raph leaned back against his headboard, giving her a bemused look. "So…that it then?"

            She shook her head, the last image of her nightmare flashing in her mind with painful clarity. She could only pray that it wasn't an omen of things to come. "You…were in my nightmare," she whispered.

            "I was what?!"

            Alex winced at the note of shock in his voice. "You were in my nightmare," she repeated. "Danny…killed you. And it was my fault. He killed you because I wouldn't obey him."

            Raph stared at her for a long moment before saying, "Okay, now there are two reasons why that will never happen."

            She gave him a questioning look. "What are they?"

            "One…there's no way in hell that kid could ever kill me. I could out maneuver him in less then a second. Two…you don't obey anyone."

            "I fail to see how that proves what happened in my dream wont happen in real life," Alex muttered, twisting her hands together in her lap. 

            "It doesn't." Placing a hand on either side of her face, he stared deep into her eyes, looking very serious. "But there is no way I'm ever going to leave you Alex."

            A tremulous smile curved her lips. "Promise?"

            "Yeah," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "I promise."

            "And you wont tell anyone what I just told you?"

            "Your secret dies with me." 

                  __

  


	11. Chapter 10

            **Authors Notes**: Hey guys! Miss me? I know you did! Lol. So here we go again, another chapter and we're drawing close to the end. Warning…adult content ;) Nothing too huge because I honestly could not bring myself to write a lemon. I'm creative…but not THAT creative. So enjoy! And thanks to all for reviewing. You guys are wonderful! And another big thank you to my editor Kristi. Sweetness, I do not know what I would do without you. Hope your day is going better!

            **Disclaimer:** Alex is my own creation but the guys and everything dealing with the NT thing…not mine. I'm working on it but for the time being….nothing belongs to me.

Three very non-eventful weeks passed by after the night Alex had revealed her entire past to Raphael and her secret, or rather secrets, had remained just that. Neither of them said anything to his brothers, leaving them in the dark and Alex would have maybe felt bad about it, but she just hadn't had the time to. Rehearsal's for "The Moulin Rouge" had been extended and instead of her usual two hours a night, she was now spending five hours a night, sometimes even more, at the theater. But it had paid off. On opening night the house had been packed and amongst the audience had been almost every entertainment critic the city had to offer. Thanks to their raging reviews the next few nights had been just as busy, each performance selling out the day before it took place. Finally Alex had managed to snag four tickets in the front row of the balcony for the last night's performance.

            She was preparing for that night now, standing before her mirror with her hair up in large round curlers and applying her stage makeup. The director had spent most of his money on costumes and sets so the actors were required to do their own makeup. Not comfortable around large groups, Alex had always opted to get ready at home and avoid the hectic crush. Well…that and she really had no desire to answer any questions that may be fired at her should anyone happen to see the two cuts by her neck or worse, her scar. Meeting someone who might have actually known the history behind the symbol was a risk she was not willing to take. 

            Reaching for her bag of makeup lying on the dresser beside her, Alex hummed along with the CD she had going, a soundtrack to Moulin Rouge. Although the song was one of the more cheerful, it did little to improve her mood. The nerves had already started but that wasn't surprising. She had expected that. What was bothering her was that, for the first time in her life, she was in a deep state of sexual frustration. Beyond actually and she was really starting to wonder if Raphael was feeling it as badly as she was. "He'd damn well better be," she grumbled, glaring in irritation at her reflection. But deep down she knew he was. She had seen of that last week when she'd been practicing with him.

            *~* Flashback *~*

            "You're blockin' too much again, Alex," Raphael reprimanded her, taking a step back to allow her to catch her breath.

            Alex shoved her sweat soaked bangs out of her face and sighed. "You're trying to break a bad habit I've had for years hun. It's going to take a while."

            "It's going to take even longer if you keep lettin' yourself fall back into it. Are ya even tryin'?"

            "Yes!" she snapped. They'd been at this for over two hours now. She was tired, her t-shirt and shorts were now clinging to her sweaty body and she was incredibly frustrated, not just with herself but also with Raph for insisting that she learn how to fight back. She knew he was right of course, but he didn't have to push her so damn hard! "I am trying," she said, a little softer this time, letting her weariness show in the tone of her voice. "This isn't exactly easy, you know?"

            "I know." He crossed the floor to her and pulled her into his arms.

            Allowing another sigh to escape her lips, she rested her forehead on his shoulder. "You're so pushy," she muttered, only half joking. She knew he'd feel too guilty to actually take offense to the comment.

            "You're just noticing that now?" he asked with a smirk. "Maybe we're goin' about this the wrong way."

            Groaning, Alex pushed away from him. "Raph, we've been practicing for two hours! I'm tired, I'm soaked in my own sweat, I smell like shit and I 'm about two seconds away from calling you Leo. Couldn't we just stop for the day? Please?"

            "Tell ya what," he said, pulling his _sais_ from his belt and twirling them expertly, "you get these away from me…and we're done for the rest of the week. Sound good?"

            Alex watched the weak light of the dojo glint off the sharp blades with, eyeing them almost eagerly. The rest of the week? That was four days! Four days she could really use. A slow determined smile crept across her face as one by one her muscles tensed, forcing renewed strength into her body. Those four days were as good as hers.

            Seeing her smile, Raph tightened his grip on his _sais_. He wasn't going to go easy on her, not today. Every day they'd practiced he'd held back and it was getting him nowhere. How was she ever going to defend herself if she didn't learn to fight back? _I'm sorry babe. Don't hate me but you gotta learn how to do this right.  _

            He waited for her to pick a weapon, the _katana_ of course, and as soon as she was ready he lunged at her. And, as expected, she blocked him. Biting back a growl of frustration, he tried again and again she blocked him. _Okay, enough of this shit._ Shoving his _sais_ in his belt, he grabbed one of her arms when she attempted to strike him, twisting it around and easily flipping her slight weight over his back. She landed hard, dropping her _katana _and crying out in pain. Then she was silent.

            After a few seconds had passed in which she lay motionless on the padded floor, Raph opened his mouth to ask her if she was okay. He was cut off by Alex's enraged shriek. She jumped to her feet, whipping around to face him, her cerulean eyes blazing defiantly. Any sane man would have been terrified right about now, but Raph was thrilled. Finally, she was going to do what he wanted her to do!

            "You…are so going to pay for that," she growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

            _That's what I was hopin' for_, he replied silently. Trying hard to keep the victorious smirk from his face, he grabbed his _sais_ once again and waited for Alex to make her move. He didn't have to wait long. She was on him before he was even ready, bringing the _katana_ down with speed he didn't even know she possessed. Muttering a curse under his breath, he lifted his _sais_ to stop her attack. Their weapons clashed with a deadly hiss, the sound reverberating off the brick walls.

            "Who's blocking now?" she asked with a smirk.

            Raph smiled back. "Was wondering when the hard ass part of you was gonna show up." He shoved her back, dislodging his weapons from hers. "About damn time."

            They sparred for fifteen minutes, Raph pushing Alex as hard as he dared and Alex pushing right back. It was like there had been a fighter in her all along, just itching to be released and although her technique wasn't without flaw, it was still impressive. 

"Come on babe, that all you got?" he taunted, curious to see if he could get anything more out of her before he called it quits. It was obvious that she was tiring fast and besides, there was no way she was getting his _sais _away from him. 

But, as Alex had a tendency to do on certain occasions, she surprised him, tossing aside her _katana_ with a growl. Thinking she had conceded defeat, Raph dropped his guard and that's when she attacked. She dropped down, kicked out her leg and swept it around, knocking him off his feet and onto his back. Still looking quite determined, she sat on his chest, one leg on either side of him, her knees pinning his shoulders to the ground.

"Ha!" she yelped triumphantly as she yanked his _sais_ from his loose grip. "No practice for the rest of the week!" Smiling, she twirled the _sais _in her hands. "And you didn't think I could do it…did you?"

When no reply came, she looked down at him and her heart skipped a beat. His eyes were fixed on her, a fire blazing in their depths that had nothing to do with anger. She knew what that look meant and felt her body's immediate response to it. Trying not to let it show just how badly she wanted him, she gave him a coy smile. "Don't tell me you're getting turned on by this, Raphael?"

Suddenly, she was on the floor and he was on top of her, kissing her hungrily. With a muffled cry of surprised delight, Alex dropped the _sais_ and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back, matching him stroke for stroke as her body began to ache desperately for his touch. 

When he started tugging impatiently at the hem of her loose fitting shirt she was all to willing to help him get it off, arching her back and then leaning up so that he could slide pull the shirt over her head and toss it aside, leaving her in a plain blue sports bra. He then moved from her mouth to her neck, his teeth grazing the tender flesh, drawing from her tiny gasps and moans of pleasure.

"Don't stop," she pleaded urgently as his hand closed around her breast, "please, god…don't stop."

            But he had to. From the other side of the closed dojo door came the sound of voices. His brother's voices. With a whispered curse, Raph regretfully pushed himself off of Alex and stood, grabbing her shirt in the process and handing it to her.

            "Where are you going?" she asked, hastily pulling her shirt over her head.

            "To take a cold shower!" he muttered over his shoulder as he left the dojo.

            *~*~*~*

            Sighing, Alex pulled the big curlers from her hair, the last lingering images of that day fading away just as her hopes of having it happen again (and go a bit further this time) had. Since that day the tension between them, which she had decidedly started referring to as sexual tension, had been palpable. Of course they still talked and as far as the others were concerned everything was normal between the two. But each night that week Alex had slept alone, and Raph had fallen asleep on the couch "watching movies."

Although it had become apparent to Alex that he was doing it intentionally, she didn't feel like starting an argument over it. He obviously had his reason, however frustrating they may be.

            Without warning, her door burst open and two wrestling turtles tumbled into her room. Emitting a startled yelp, she backed away from where Raphael and Michelangelo had landed. "What the hell are you two doing?" she demanded in an amused voice.

            "He started it!" Mike cried, grabbing a hold of Raph's wrist and trying to push him away. 

            "Like hell I started it! You're the one who started it!" Raph yelled back.

            Seeing the grins on both of their faces, Alex rolled her eyes. "You guys are such kids."

            "Come on Alex!" Mike turned his pleading gaze up to her. "Get your boyfriend off of…whoa…" Forgetting that he was in the middle of a fight, he stared at Alex, his mouth hanging open.

            "Mikey?" Raph questioned, sitting up and looking at his younger brother in confusion. "Hey…you okay bro?" When the orange-masked turtle said nothing and only continued with his blatant staring, Raph followed his gaze to where Alex stood and his heart lurched into his throat. "Holy shit," he muttered, incapable of managing much more than that.

            It was at that moment, with the two males staring at her with such obvious interest, that Alex remembered she was standing before them in nothing more than her costume for the first act. A costume of which consisted of a pair of dark blue, satin underwear that were made to look like the skimpiest shorts in existence, and a matching corset bodice, embroidered with fragile black vines. Laughing, she crossed her hands over her chest, unashamed of her current state of dress. She had preformed in front of a few too many people over the past week to actually care if two of her friends saw her in it. "What's wrong guys?" She asked with feigned innocence.

            "You look…really good Alex," Mike said, never taking his eyes from her as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "You know, you could just stay home with us tonight and walk around in nothin' but that. You've got an understudy right?"

            "Out Mikey," Raph abruptly demanded as he got to his feet. He couldn't stop staring at her. All week he'd been avoiding getting too close to her, afraid that if things went any further than they had in the dojo the other day, their relationship (which was pretty much perfect in his eyes) might suffer. She might find him lacking or he might not even be able to please her. His knowledge of sex was pretty damn limited and he'd never even kissed a girl before Alex, let alone slept with one. And it had been difficult keeping his hands off her and sleeping on the couch every night, but he had managed…until now.

            As she stood there, wearing almost nothing, the tight rein he had on his lust snapped and he could only think about one thing. One thing that, for sure, did not involve having his younger brother as an audience. "Mikey," he repeated, giving his brother a pointed look.

            "Yeah Raph?" Mike regarded him with a knowing grin.

            Raph reached down and grabbed the dangling tails of his mask, hauling him to his feet. "No offense bro," he said as he shoved the younger turtle towards the door, "but take a hike."

            "You guys are no fun." He left the room sulking but turned around once he was in the hallway to give Raph a thumbs up. 

            Raph shut the door, biting back a smile. He may have acted like he only had half a brain at most times, but Mike was a lot smarter then anyone gave him credit for. 

            Turning to face Alex, Raph stared at her for a moment, memorizing how she looked, her loose curls tumbling down her back, her tanned skin glowing in the lamp light, her eyes, burning with need as she stared back at him and then, not able to deny himself any longer, he closed the distance between them and pulled her willing body to his.

            Alex opened her mouth, not even sure what she was going to say, and was cut off as his mouth came down on hers. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she parted her lips for a deeper kiss and was not disappointed. He kissed her with a desperate hunger that brought her body to life and made certain parts of her throb with longing.

            When they broke apart, both breathing heavily, Alex cupped Raph's face in her hands. "Oh sweetie…where have you been?" she whispered.

            His lips moved to her neck and she dropped her head back, eliciting a soft moan of pleasure. 

            "Sorry," he murmured as he left a trail of hot kissed down the column of her neck, pulling her towards the bed. "Too busy being an idiot."

            Surrounded by the hazy fog of passion, Alex didn't even realize where he was taking her until she was actually on the bed and his body was pressed against hers. "Raph…honey," she said between kisses, "we can't do this right now."

            "Sure we can. Like Mikey said, you've got an under study."

            "But I'm performing for you guys tonight." She pushed him away or rather tried to push him away, only succeeding in causing him to double his efforts to keep her in bed. "Raph, come on," she tried again. Finally he gave in, rolling off of her with a pained groan. 

"Poor baby," Alex murmured. She turned onto her side to face him, laying a hand on his cheek. "Tell you what, how about we pick up where we left off later tonight when we get back. That is," she leaned close to him, brushing her lips across his as she spoke, "if you're not sleeping on the couch again."

"Sorry 'bout that," he said, smiling sheepishly as he tried to control his breathing, "I was just-."

She kissed him then, slowly, seductively, her tongue coaxing a deep moan from his throat. When she pulled away they were both trembling with the force of their intense need. "I don't need to know why Raphael. Just promise me you wont do it again."

Taking her hand, he lifted it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the knuckles. "I promise."

"Good. Now, up." She left the bed, grabbing a pair of jeans from the back of a folding chair beside her dresser and pulling them up. "I've got twenty minutes to get ready and get my ass to the theater."

"I'd kinda just like to sit here and watch that ass of yours get ready babe."

Alex smiled at him over her shoulder. "Okay. I'll be done in a few minutes."

Putting his hands behind his head, Raph's lazy gaze followed Alex as she pulled a comb through her wavy blond hair and applied the rest of her stage makeup. Watching her gave him a wonderful sense of peace, one he'd never experienced before and at the same time, made him want her even more then he already did. There was something strangely intimate about lying there and observing her as she did such feminine things. 

Turning around while slipping a pair of large, tear drop shaped rhinestone earrings in her ears, Alex was mildly amused to see him watching her so closely. "What?" she asked.

Shaking his head, Raph got up and crossed the room to where she stood. "You look really good hun," he murmured, kissing her lightly. "And yer not leavin' this room without a shirt…and your coat."

"When did you become so protective?" she asked, laughing as she grabbed a bulky sweater hanging from an open drawer of her dresser and pulled it on over her low cut bodice.

"Since you started dressin' like that." He waited for her to pack up the rest of her things and then walked with her out to the living room. His brothers were all waiting, disguised and sitting around the TV, watching a hockey game. And sitting on the coffee table well out of anyone's direct view was a beautiful, sandblasted vase, holding what had to be at least a dozen calla lilies.

"Oh my," Alex breathed upon seeing the flowers. Hearing the tiny cry of approval the three on the couch looked up, smiling when they saw a teary eyed Alex standing beside Raphael, her hand covering her gaping mouth.

"See guys, told ya she'd like 'em," Mike said smugly.

Ignoring his younger brother, Leo got up and came around the couch to stand in front of her. "We know you're supposed to give flowers to someone after a performance but we can't really do that," he said," and since roses didn't exactly say enough we all decided on these. They're simple, but also beautiful, elegant, and graceful…like you Alex."

By this time Mike and Don had joined their oldest brother, standing on either side of him and all she could do was stare at them in amazement. If she was crying, she honestly did not care. Never, in her life, had anyone given her such a romantic and thoughtful gesture. Unable to manage any words past the lump forming in her throat, Alex lifted her arms and Leo walked into them, hugging her tightly.  

"Thank you so much," she whispered, kissing his cheek.

Blushing from the attention and well aware that Raph may hit him if he lingered any further, Leo pulled back. "It wasn't just me." He moved aside, allowing Mike and Don to receive the same treatment. Once everyone had gotten a hug and kiss, Alex dashed the tears from her face with the back of her hand, careful to avoid smudging her thick stage makeup. "I think you guys just brought romance to a whole new level."

"Yeah, Raph's not the only one who can do it," Mike boasted.

"My child, you should go now before you are late."

Turning towards the sound of the aged, papery voice, Alex smiled warmly as she watched Splinter approach them. He leaned heavily on his cane, the cold weather affecting his limbs and slowing his movement. "Sensei," she murmured, quickly going to him, "I would have come to you."

He waved a hand, dismissing the very idea. "Nonsense. It is good for one to exercise and defy the restrictions the cold weather puts upon them. Besides, I wish to give you something before you leave." Reaching into the pocket of his worn robes, he withdrew a tiny silver chain. From it dangled three tiny symbols, each one attached to the bottom of the one above it. They'd been polished to a high sheen, reflecting the light much like a mirror would.

Alex stared at it, mesmerized by its beauty. "What does it say?"

Splinter pointed to each symbol as he translated its meaning. "Love, Faith, Family." Giving the necklace to Raph, he took Alex's hand. "It will bring you luck, although from what I have heard, you do not need it."

She waited for Raph to put the necklace around her neck and then leaned forward, giving the old rat a gentle hug. "It's beautiful. Thank you Master Splinter." As she did with his sons, she placed a soft kiss atop his furry head. 

Splinter smiled and patted her hand, very much pleased by her reaction to his gift. "Go child. You will be late," he murmured finally, releasing her hand.

They all said good bye, reassuring him they wouldn't be out too late and left the lair, their voices and laughter fading as they moved further into the dark sewer tunnels.

When at last there was silence, Splinter hung his head, releasing a deep sigh. There was something in the air, something that reeked of danger. Folding his hands over the top of his cane, he closed his eyes, searching for peace, searching for a hope that his children would be safe. When he found none, he did the only thing left to do. He prayed. "Keep my children safe. Let them all return home to me tonight," he murmured before turning and retreating to his subway car sanctuary. He would spend the rest of his evening in deep meditation.

*~*~*~*

Raphael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was, what Mikey liked to call "being fidgety," but so were the rest of his brothers. They had never been in such close proximity with so many people before and weren't exactly adjusting to the situation very well. "I wish they'd turn off the damn lights," he muttered irritably, trying to sink further into his chair.

Beside him, doing the exact same thing, Donatello eyed the crowd warily, watching the seats fill up. In the pit the orchestra began warming up, the warbling, off-key notes carrying over the din of the crowd. "It should be soon. Looks like the last of the seats are being filled." He dared to lean forward, looking over the side of the balcony to confirm his statement.

"I hope it's soon," Michelangelo said from the other side of Raph. "This is unnerving."

Next to Don, Leonardo pulled the hood of his sweater lower over his eyes, not enjoying the feeling of anxiety that seemed to be building between his shoulder blades and slowly working its way outward. "I sure hope this is worth it."

"Trust me Leo, it is," Mike quickly assured him.

The lights of the theater dimmed and the four turtles heaved a collective sigh of relieve. "Much better," Raph intoned, glad that he was finally able to relax.

Silence fell and on stage a man with black hair, dressed in a formal tuxedo, emerged from the folds of the crimson curtains. He lifted his voice in a sad melody accompanied by only a lone violin. His song told the tale of a young man, a child of the Revolution, a true romantic with a dream. As the last note drifted away the music picked up tempo and the song "Lady Marmalade" came pouring from speakers mounted around the theater as the curtains swept open, revealing the set of what was obviously a gentleman's club and over a dozen singing, scantily clad courtesans. 

"See Leo," Mike called out over the music, "told you it was worth it!"

When that song came to an end all of the lights went out, save for one; a spotlight. And in the middle of that spotlight, wearing the outfit that had sent Raph right over the edge was Alex. She sat on a swing suspended from the scaffolding, head bent, legs crossed demurely. Ever so slowly, she lifted her head. Her bright blue eyes met Raph's and she smiled at him, sparing a quick wink before she began singing.

Fully relaxing in his seat, Raph folded his hands over his chest, a goofy smile curving his lips as he watched Alex play the sexy, seductive courtesan. As the play carried on though, he found himself being drawn in by it. Everyone around him disappeared and Alex became the free spirited Satine. There was a moment or two of jealousy during certain romantic scenes between Satine and Christian and one instance when Mike actually had to grab his arm to keep him in his seat when the man playing the part of the Duke attacked Alex, but for the most part Raph remained a passive spectator, much to the surprise of his brothers.

By the end of the play he was so wrapped up in the performance that he forgot it wasn't real and when it came time for the beautiful Satine to die the scene was so touching and so heartbreaking that he couldn't stop a few tears from making their way down his face. Thankfully no one noticed. They were all too busy crying themselves. Mike made no secret of it what so ever, sniffling loudly and wiping the sleeve of his sweater over his face. 

When the lights came on again, Raph had gained control of his emotions and scrubbed away any evidence of his very rare poignant moment. On stage Alex was accepting flowers along with the rest of the cast as she bowed and smiled at the audience. He wanted to get to her. That ending scene had been a little too realistic for his tastes and all he wanted to do right now was hold her, reassure himself that she was okay. "Hey, you guys wanna go back stage and surprise her?" he asked his brothers as he stood and sluggishly stretched his arms above his head.

            Leo stood, shoulders hunched, his hood still pulled very low over his eyes. "Can we do that?"

            "Who's gonna stop us Leo?"

            "I think we should. Then we'll be able to get her home faster," Mike said. "I don't think she wants to be around all of those people for much longer then she has to anyway."

            Keeping their heads bent the four turtles made their way through the crowd and bask stage.

            Alex sat in the dressing room, the giddy chatter of her fellow cast members flowing around her. She stood the shrill sound as best she could as she removed her makeup and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. God, she wanted to get the hell out of here. The last night had been great, she felt better about it then she had about any of her other performances but now that it was over she just wanted to get home. Well, get home and into bed with Raphael. A smirk played at her lips as she allowed her mind to entertain images of what could possibly happen tonight. 

            So immersed in her own sinful thoughts, Alex hardly noticed when the willowy red head Marquette sauntered in and addressed the other women in the small room, asking that they leave. They all filed out, some casting interested glances at the blonde sitting across the room, the one who said little but performed big. Once all of them were gone, Marquette watched Alex for a moment, cocking her head curiously to the side. The young woman was thinking about something…or someone maybe? Perhaps one of those freaks she insisted on keeping company with. Smirking, Marquette closed the door.

The small slam brought Alex into an alert state and she whipped around, forcing a smile to her lips when she saw Marquette standing in front of the door. "Hello," she murmured politely. 

"Hello Alex," the older woman replied with a smile that never reached her eyes. In her hands she carried two fluted wine glasses and a bottle of champagne. "You did very well tonight. Much better than any of your other performances. I must say, it has been a pleasure working with such talent."

Alex blushed, uneasy with the praise. "Well thank you, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the directors." 

Marquette laughed lightly, tossing her long flowing mane of hair over her shoulder and walking slowly across the room, her plain black dress with its tiny spaghetti straps flowing like dark mist around her legs with each step. "You had the talent all along dear. It just needed on opening in which to release it. That is all we provided for you." 

Setting the wine glasses on the long, mirrored counter top among the discarded tubes of lipstick and open compacts of blush and eye shadow, Marquette easily worked the cork free from the bottle of champagne. "Would you join me in a toast?" she asked, lifting a brow in a questioning arc.

"Um…sure," Alex replied, a shiver of anxiety working its way up her spine. She attempted to look busy as she waited for Marquette to pour the champagne, putting her things in her bag and hoping the other woman would assume that she needed to be somewhere and leave quickly. Instead she walked up to her, handing her a glass of champagne with what seemed like a friendly smile. Alex accepted it. What else could she do? She wasn't the type of person to be impolite.

"A toast," Marquette murmured, lifting her glass, "to a wonderful actress. May her power bring her far in this world."

The word power set off a tiny alarm in the younger woman's head. She ignored it though, touching her glass to Marquette's and taking a healthy sip of the amber liquid. It burned down her throat, settling warmly in her stomach. Another sip, another…and the champagne was gone. She could finally leave. "Thank you Marquette but if you'll excuse me, I really have to get going. My friends are waiting for me." 

She stood and a tidal wave of dizziness swept over her. Grabbing the counter to keep from falling, Alex looked up at the older woman. She was smiling, an evil smile that transformed her beautiful face into something sinister and hideous. 

"Is something the matter dear?" Marquette asked innocently, downing the contents of her own glass. 

Alex shook her head. Something wasn't right here. She had drank before and although it was never much she knew that alcohol did not have this kind of effect on people. "Wha…what did you do?" Her voice came out hollow and sounded far off. "What did you put in it?"

"So suspicious Alexandria. What would make you think I would ever purposely harm you? Don't you think she's being a bit irrational, dear brother?"

From a small folding screen across the room stepped someone all to familiar to Alex. Dread crept into her heart, increasing as the speed of her pulse did. "No…" she whispered, tears collecting in her clouded eyes. 

"What's the matter sweetie? Not happy to see me?" Danny asked, walking up to her. He wore nothing but black, reflecting the true color of his soul. "Damn, you sure do look beautiful tonight." He ran a fingertip from her temple to her chin, his grin widening as the finger dipped lower, tracing the mark he had left upon her. "Have you missed me?"

Alex shuddered with revulsion, feeling the bile rise in her throat. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening! She tried to jerk away from his touch but the slightest movement brought on a sick dizziness and left her feeling weak. "Asshole," she growled, angry tears burning their way down her cheeks as she glared at the man she hated with all of her being.

"That's not a very nice thing to say Alex. Oh, by the way, have you met my sister Marquette?" Laughing at the way the blond's eyes widened, Danny dropped his hand to his side and stared adoringly at his older sister. "You would think you would have noticed the similarities. I mean, you did sleep with me. You knew me well enough to see the resemblance Alex. Unless, of course, you didn't want to see." He looked at her once more, his gaze narrowing. "Marquette is the one person that wants my Master back more than I do. You see, she was his mistress. And tonight you will bring him back. Marquette," he said, now addressing his sister, "do you have your men ready in the back."

"Of course Danny. I wouldn't botch something like this. Not when it involves the life of the man I love," she murmured.

Alex closed her eyes as another wave of nauseous lightheadedness claimed her. They were all insane! Marquette for being fool enough to sleep with a monster, Danny for being obsessed with the man. She wanted to get away but she knew she couldn't. Whatever Marquette had drugged her with was working fast. 

Suddenly a knock sounded at the door and a voice called out Alex's name. Relief flooded through her and with the last ounce of her vocal strength she yelled for help. Not even a second later the door burst open, slamming loudly against the wall. Standing in the doorway, his dark eyes alight with fury and his _sais_ clutched in his hands, was Raphael. "Get the fuck away from her if you know what's good for ya kid," he snarled.

Weaponless and outnumbered, Danny knew he was in a loosing situation yet again. With a growl of absolute frustration he did the only thing he could think of doing. He grabbed Alex by the shoulders and shoved her towards the enraged turtle. The moment the attention was off him he grabbed Marquette's hand and quickly shoved his way past the turtles. He was in the crowd before they could even think about stopping him.

"Someone should follow him," Leo said, watching the retreating back of the young red head and his sister.

"Why bother?" Don asked. "It's not like they have any other way of getting to Alex. This was it for them." He turned his concerned gaze to where Alex lay in Raph's protective embrace. "We have more important things to worry about right now." 

Leo nodded and went to Raph, kneeling beside him. "How is she?"

"Hardly even here," Raph muttered, his voice trembling suspiciously. "They drugged her."

"Can you carry her back to the lair?"

Raph nodded. "Yeah. Back way?" At Leo's nod of confirmation, Raph picked Alex up, cradling her limp body in his arms. She groaned softly, her brows drawing together in a frown. "We'll get ya home babe. Just hang tight okay?" he murmured.

Don made sure the way was more or less clear as Mike collected Alex's things and draped her coat over her unconscious form. When the hall was clear enough they made their way towards the back door and out into the alley. 

"Get back," Leo immediately demanded, holding out an arm and moving into the shadows. All four turtles pressed as far back against the walls as they could, watching a foot ninja pace back and forth behind a black van. "Okay, other way," the oldest turtle whispered. They fell back, heading in the other direction. Finding a manhole was the easy part. Getting Alex down it proved to be slightly harder, but they managed and headed back for the safety of their home.

*~*~*~*

A sigh, one of only many he had emitted since returning home, escaped Raph's lips. He leaned back against the couch, watching the TV with unseeing eyes as a sick feeling churned in his stomach. God, he felt helpless right now. They'd been home for hours and Don had gone to his lab right away, coming back and announcing that the drug making its course through Alex was a mild sedative that would wear off in a few hours and had no harmful side effects. A small relief. 

They had left her in her room, laying sound asleep in her bed, and the four brothers had gathered in the living room for a long, overdue discussion. They had to figure out what Danny wanted from Alex and the one of them who did know wasn't talking. He had sat there, knowing all along what was behind the young mans determination but unable to tell his brothers any of it. He'd made a promise to her and he intended to keep it. 

Finally, well after 1 a.m. his brothers had gone to sleep, leaving him alone in the living room where he could finally admit to himself that he was terrified. They'd almost taken her tonight. What would he have done if they succeeded? He couldn't even begin to imagine how deeply affected he'd be. She was the one thing in his life that he understood, the one thing that brought him joy…well, in a healthy manner anyway. He could picture his life without her about as easily as he could picture being without his brothers. 

Flipping mindlessly through the channels, he wondered if she was truly okay. Seeing Danny again must have been a shock for her. Was she sleeping easily or did the man haunt her dreams? 

As it turned out, Alex was not sleeping at all. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, letting the fright from earlier ebb away. She didn't want to think about it anymore. It had happened and her hero's had been there for her, rescuing her yet again. It was over and she was thankful for that. She was safe…but she was alone. 

"He's out on the couch again," she murmured into the silence. It wasn't fair. He had promised her that he would share her bed tonight and right now she needed him. She needed him to hold her. She needed to feel his strong arms around her. _So do something about it_, her mind snapped, _quit laying here and do something about it._

Sitting up, she pressed a palm to her head, experiencing a tiny head rush. The last of the drug was moving through her system. It was, for the most part gone now. Only a lingering headache remained, reminding her of the fact that she had been sedated. She slowly pushed herself up, taking everything a step at a time. It took several dizzying minutes but finally she was able to stand on her own feet without having to hold onto anything. She pulled off the t-shirt she wore and unbuttoned her jeans, pushing them down and stepping out of them. Next came her bra, leaving her in only a pair of flimsy lace panties. 

_Perfect_, she thought, picking up a blanket and wrapping it around herself. If this didn't work there was something seriously wrong with the guy. 

Raphael, after coming across one too many sci-fi horror flicks, snorted in disgust and turned off the TV, laying his head back against the couch. The silence surrounded him, beckoning him to sleep, to rest his troubled mind, but he knew that would not happen, not tonight anyway. Not when he was this worked up. 

The sound of feet padding across the floor caught his attention and he turned his head to the side. Alex stared back at him from the end of the couch, her eyes questioning, her hair spilling in loose waves over her shoulders. She looked like a little lost child, standing there wrapped in a blanket. "Hey," he murmured softly, sitting up. "You feelin' okay?"

She nodded, her eyes drifting close momentarily. "Why are you out here?"

He shrugged. "Watchin' TV."

"It's not even on Raph." She gave him a tired smile. "You promised."

"I know I did."

"You said you weren't going to sleep on the couch."

"I know…but I didn't think-."

Not waiting for him to finish, Alex moved around the couch to stand before him. _Don't back out now_. She held out a hand to him and after a moment's hesitation he took it and stood. "Alex…"

"No," she murmured, placing a hand over his mouth. "Just hold me Raph. Please?"

He would have been insane to turn her away, especially when holding her was the one thing he needed to do right now. Not wanted…needed. Something about being in her arms calmed him. He wasn't sure what, but he didn't really care. Finding a gap in the blanket he slid his arms underneath it and wrapped his arms around her as she lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck, cloaking them both in the warm confines of the blanket. 

Somewhere in that moment Raph's brain started to work normally again and he realized that there was absolutely no clothing between them. "Whoa…Alex," He started to move back but she held him where he was, leaning back only far enough to look at him with that coy smile on her full, pink lips. 

"You made a promise…and I've waited long enough Raphael. I want you in my bed, with me…tonight. And trust me when I say sleeping is not what I intend to do. Well, not until later anyway."

He swallowed hard, his tongue and throat suddenly dry. He wanted to tell her not tonight, not when she'd had such a scare but the fact that she was holding him and wearing next to nothing made that impossible. 

"Come with me sweetie," she whispered, her eyes now filled with a seductive, mischievous glint. 

"Ya know…for someone who just went through what you did…you're not actin' the way I thought you would."

Alex sighed. "Raph, there's nothing I can do about what happened. All I can do is be thankful that you were there in time to save me. And now…I want to show you how thankful I am. Please, let it go and come with me?"

He gave in right then and there, a grin taking the place of his frown. "How exactly am I supposed to say no to this, huh?" he asked, moving a hand down her back. "Pretty damn convincing Alex."

"I thought it would work," she murmured with a husky laugh. Walking backwards, she pulled him towards the hallway, intent on getting him to the bedroom. They made it half way down the hallway before giving into what they had been denying themselves for so long. Raph pushed Alex up against the wall and kissed her, his hands gripping her hips as he slipped into something far more intense, far more intimate than anything they had shared before. The need for more was overpowering, driving them both into frenzy, clawing away at them. 

"Raph…bedroom," Alex gasped when he finally released her lips and moved to her neck.

"Yup, got it," he muttered back, causing her to laugh. They gracelessly made it to her bedroom and that's when Alex dropped the blanket, smiled at his hungry expression and said with a throaty purr, "Raph honey, close the door."     


	12. Chapter 11

            Authors Notes: Well, I'm going to make these quick because I'm the babysitter tonight and its my sisters 21st birthday. Yes, I'm babysitting her. Should be a lot of fun. Those who know what this is like…wish me luck. So this is the second to the last chapter. After this there's one more and an epilogue. I'm going to be sad to see this finished but hopefully you guys will appreciate it for what it is, even if the whole Prophecy thing is a bit muddled, and trust me, I know it is. Anyway, read on and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do now own TMNT in any way shape or form!

            Chapter 11

Relaxation wasn't an emotion that came all too easily for Raphael. Even when it did it was in small doses that lasted ten minutes at the most. And as he lay there in the dark, Alex's hand draped over his chest, her head nestled in the crook of his arm he realized how much of a shame it really was. This relaxation thing was great! Never in his life had he felt so at peace with himself, so content to just be. 

            Beside him Alex stirred, scooting closer to him and draping one sinfully long leg over his. Her lips found his neck and an indulgent smile curved his mouth as he lifted a hand, resting it over the one on his chest. "Hey, thought you were sleepin'."

            "I was," she purred, rubbing her naked body against his. "Now…aren't you glad you didn't stay out on that couch?"

            Glad was an understatement. Now that he thought about it, he would have to consider himself half insane for even allowing the idea of spending the night on the couch to enter his mind. 

            "What are you thinking about Raph?" Alex asked in a throaty whisper, gazing at him with dark blue eyes that shone with sated happiness.

            That look not only dramatically boosted his confidence, but also made him want her again with an almost lethal intensity. He forced his desire back though and gave her a tired smile. "I think I get why people make such a big deal outta this."

            She chuckled softly. "Not bad, huh?"

            "You wont hear any complaints from me."

            Smiling, Alex sat up and stretched her arms over her head, fully aware that she was giving Raph a very enticing view. "God…I'm starving. Want to come to the kitchen with me and find something to snack on?" She turned back in time to see his hungry gaze rake over her body and laughed. "Not what I meant sweetie."

            "Damn."

            After Alex found something to wear, a pair of navy blue sweat shorts and a dark gray sweatshirt, they crept to the kitchen. As always their destination was the only room with the lights still on, spilling a meager yellow glow into the darkness that filled the rest of the lair.

            "Oh, I should have put socks on," she muttered as they stepped onto the cold linoleum. She danced her way over to the cupboard above the sink and pulled down a box of chips she'd stashed there while Raph went to the fridge and grabbed them each a pop.

            "Does Mikey know about those?" he asked, sitting down at the table.

            Alex sat on his lap, legs straddling his waist and shook her head. "They'd be gone by now if he did."

"Good point." Raph wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, watching her as she dug through the box of bite sized chips. For the millionth time since things had officially started happening between them, he wondered what he'd done to deserve such a wonderful woman. He hadn't exactly been all that nice to her in the beginning, then there was that incident in the dojo where he'd lost it and hurt her…yet here she was. And she was his in every sense of the word. And the kicker was…he loved her. 

He'd been uncertain before due to the fact that he really had no idea what love was, what it meant, but now…now he was sure. The pleasant way his stomach jumped when she kissed him, the way his heart raced when she smiled at him…hell, the woman could keep him calm, now that was saying something. 

"Raph? Honey…are you okay?"

"Huh?" He looked up into a pair of azure eyes dark with worry. 

"I lost you for a minute there. What were you thinking about?" Alex asked. Eyes never leaving his, she set aside the box of chips and waited patiently for a response.

But Raph didn't know what to tell her. It was on the tip of his tongue to say what he felt, put his love for her right out in the open where everyone could see it, but a nagging fear of rejection held him back, made him speak in only half-truths. "I was just thinkin' about you."

The worry vanished from her face, a warm smile quickly taking its place. "What about me?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess…I guess I just don't really get it. I'm a mutant, I was an ass to you the first time we met and a few times after that, I don't even belong in your world…but you're still with me."

Her features softened. "What's so hard to believe about that?" The only answer she received was a brief flash of doubt in his dark brown eyes and, with a patient smile, Alex shook her head. "Just because two people don't belong in the same worlds doesn't mean they can't belong with each other. Raphael…here." She took his hand and laid it against the center of her chest where her heart beat steadily beneath his palm. She was going to drive her point home hard so there would never again be any doubt or uncertainty between them. "Do you feel that?" she asked softly, resting her forehead against his.

He closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's your heart."

"Look at me." He did as she asked with no hesitation. Laying one hand over his, she placed the other against his cheek. She could feel tears gather in her eyes, feel her body tingling with a mixture of anticipation and awareness and she hid none of it from him. "This," she murmured, pressing his hand lightly against her chest, "belongs to you. I love you Raph."

There…the one thing he'd been terrified to admit and she'd done it without batting an eye. He counted out four steady heartbeats before a smile stole over his face, then he pulled her close with the one arm wrapped around her wait and buried his face in the sweet scented curve of her neck. "Alex."

"Raph," she mimicked him, running her hand softly over the back of his head and neck. 

"If I would have known it was that easy." He pulled back and gazed up at her smiling face. "I love you too Alex."

"I know."

Of course she knew. She probably had all along and that only made him lover her more. He rubbed her back slowly, up and down, feeling the silken strands of her blond hair brush the back of his hand. When she made a small purring noise he knew her well enough to know what it meant. 

"Someone ready for round two?" he asked, lazily kissing her neck as he slipped a hand under her shirt and sought out the soft tender flesh of her breast.

Her breath caught in her throat, the sound quite audible in the small, silent kitchen. "More than ready," she whispered back, arching against his hand.

Chips and pop forgotten, they stood and quickly made their way back to the bedroom where they could lock themselves away fro the rest of the night and well into the next morning. Unfortunately someone had other plans.

_Come Prophecy. Come to me now. Do not resist they fate, thy destiny. Bend to my will. Hear my command and obey._

Alex gasped but caught herself before she fell to her knees in the middle of the living room. God, the words had been so close, so clear…as if he had been standing right next to her! _Go away, damn it…go away_, she thought, resisting the urge to cover her ears.   
            "Alex?"

Hands were on her shoulder, gripping, steadying, hands that she knew and trusted. "I'm fine…I'm fine," she murmured thickly. She wasn't fine though. Her mind felt numb. In fact, her entire body felt numb. "Must be some lingering effects from the drug." In the darkness she could lie and get away with it. He couldn't see her eyes in the dark, but that didn't make her feel any less guilty.

"You sure?" Raph asked. His hands were now moving down her arms, to her waist.

She nodded and leaned into his embrace. "Yes, I'm sure." Mimicking his movements, running her hands down his sides, she nuzzled his neck as the pull became stronger, made her feel a desperate want to obey. She needed him now to make her forget, to make it better, to force away the voices with his passionate kisses and gentle touch. "Weren't we going somewhere?"

Without a word, he picked her up, cradling her weight in his strong arms. Alex snuggled close to him and a relieved smile flickered across her face. Already the dreadful feeling that had invaded her was starting to fade. Then he kissed her and the whole world with all of its problems quickly followed.

Years of conditioning had him up before ten despite the fact that he and Alex had fallen into an exhausted sleep at five in the morning. They had made love four hours and when they hadn't been doing that they'd been talking about anything that came to mind, everything they could think of until finally, they had fallen asleep wrapped in each others arms and knowing nothing but a deep feeling of peace and contentment.

Those feelings lingered like the last remaining stars in a cloudless morning sky as Raphael awoke, unconsciously tightening his arm around Alex's waist. She made a small mewling noise, wiggled closer to him and went still once more.

"Hey kitten," Raph whispered, propping himself up on his elbow and reaching over to tuck pale strands of hair behind her ear. "You gonna keep sleeping?"

Her brow furrowed in concentration for a moment and then she nodded, a small movement that was almost imperceptible.

With a smile, he leaned down, placing a soft kiss against her temple. "Love you Alex."

"Love you Raph," she replied sleepily. Then, without opening her eyes, she flipped over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What'd you call me kitten for?"

"Cuz you're actin' like one."

"Oh," she said while yawning, elongating the simple syllable.  

Raph chuckled and hugged her tightly, putting off getting out of bed for a few more minutes. He couldn't put it off forever though. Sooner or later someone, more than likely Leo, was going to get suspicious and that was going to lead to a whole lot of questions he really didn't want to answer right now. "Alright babe, you stay here and sleep. I'm going to get up before someone comes lookin' for us."

"Mmkay." Already she was lost to him, drifting back into what looked to be a very pleasant slumber.

Moving out of the warm bed he'd just spent one of the most enjoyable nights of his life in, Raph tucked the blankets around Alex, then grabbed his belt and pads from the floor beside the bed, putting them on as he quietly left the room.

He wasn't surprised to see all of brothers already up when he sauntered into the living room. He was, however, surprised to see them all sitting on the couch crowded around Donny's laptop. "Hey guys, what's goin' on?" he asked, walking to the couch and leaning against a battered arm.

Mike glanced up, a knowing grin spreading slowly across his face. "Maybe someone should be asking _you_ that question Raph." 

"Only if you really want to know the answer Mikey," the red masked turtle replied with an indulgent smirk. "So what are you searchin' for?" 

He leaned over to look at the dark screen and his heart lurched painfully. On the screen, mocking him in burning orange colors was the symbol that Alex had been branded with when she was a child. "Why are you lookin' at that?" he asked, feigning disinterest even as a cold, foreboding feeling crept through him. 

"Well, after Danny's little stunt last night I decided maybe its time we quit turning the other way and start finding out a few things.  I don't mean to harm Alex at all but maybe if we knew what we were really dealing with we could help her more," Donatello answered without looking away from the computer. "Man…this web site has everything. Look at this."

Everyone moved closer except for Raph. He had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling. "Probably a bunch of fabricated shit made up by some psycho," he muttered, his words falling on deaf ears.

"They've got information dating back to the early 1800's. Amazing." Don scrolled down until a large picture of a striking, pale haired woman and child came up. The picture was black and white, obviously part of a newspaper clipping dated 1981. "Last picture taken of Marissa Tulsan and daughter Alexandria before their mysterious disappearance. Officials searched for a month but due to the speculation that Marissa may have been responsible for the murder of her husband, Orlando Tulsan and several occult related rumors involving the young woman, the case was closed a mere month and a half after the disappearance."

  "Man, she looks just like her mom," Mike murmured somewhat absently.

"The guy who created the site goes on to say that the accusations of murder were more than likely accurate. He thinks Orlando discovered what Marissa was and before he could use that knowledge against her…she killed him."

"That's a load of shit!" Raph exclaimed, more harshly than intended.

Don glanced up at his brother, his expression calm. "Chill out Raph. None of us actually believe any of this murder stuff. The guy sure sounds convinced though. He's even got an archive of articles linking Marissa to several mysterious deaths in the are." 

He clicked on a link and the screen filled with a short list of articles boasting such headlines as "Town Cloaked in Tragedy", "Death Count Rises as Unknown Killer Strikes Again," and "Local Woman Suspected of Murders." Some papers went as far as to suggest that Marissa carried the devils child.

"Where the hell does he get this crap? From a fuckin' tabloid? Come on guys, lets just forget about it huh? The guy's obviously full of shit." Again, Raph spoke to harshly and this time they all noticed. Mike, Don and Leo each raised questioning eyes to their brother.

Leo was the first to speak, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he stared at Raph. "You know something," he accused. 

The younger turtle inwardly balked but managed to keep his expression impassive. "I know what you know Leo, that's it."

"No. You know something. She told you what she's not telling us."

"Jesus Leo…you're bein' paranoid."

"I don't think I am Raph. She trusts you more than she trusts us. You two are together so naturally she'd confide in you. What do you know?"

"That you're about ten seconds away from getting your ass kicked," Raph snarled, curling his hands into fists at his sides. "Back the fuck down Leo. I told you, I didn't-."

"Hey! Look at this!" Don yelped, putting an abrupt stop to the escalating fight.

Leo gave Raph one last hard look before turning his attention to the computer. "What does it say Donny?"

"The legend of the Prophecy made flesh," the purple masked turtle read, eyes scanning the screen avidly. "Born of the mother and bathed in her blood, the curse, as some have deemed it, was passed onto the child upon its second birthday and upon her eighth year she was branded and the full powers were hers to posses. She was given flesh to pass her judgment on those worthy of her powers and-."

"And when she bore a child of her own, a girl, the cycle would begin anew. Life born from death, a cycle that would continue until the end of time."

The four turtles jerked around at the sound of Alex's voice, surprised to see her standing in the opening of the hallway. The white sweater she wore and light blue jeans made her look more pale that she already was and her deep blue eyes appeared haunted, dull and devoid of any of her natural light. 

"Hey Alex…though you were sleeping," Mike said with false cheerfulness.

She didn't answer him. She didn't even spare him a brief glance. Her tearful gaze remained fixed on Raphael and the uncomfortable silence grew, becoming thick and unbearable. 

"Alex," he started, not sure of what he was going to say but knowing he had to explain, "its not what-."

"I thought you didn't care about what I was?" she cut him off in a voice filled with unfathomable pain. "You said it didn't matter."

"It doesn't." Raph walked towards her. His heart was hammering away mercilessly and deep fear was the only emotion he knew at that moment. He couldn't loose her, not now…not like this. "Alex, just listen for a sec."

"Why? Let me guess…got what you wanted but it wasn't enough?" She shook her head, taking a step away from him. "Well you can save your breath. I've heard it all before."

"Come on babe, give me a chance here." He reached for her and she jerked away, tears streaming down her ghostly pale cheeks.

"I thought…that I could trust you," she whispered, her voice wavering. 

_You can!_ His mind screamed but for some reason his mouth couldn't form the words. It refused to cooperate even when she turned and left he lair, grabbing her shoes but in her haste, not bothering to put them on.

_Do something idiot_, that inner voice ranted, banging against the boundaries of his mind as a wild animal would throw itself against the restraints of its cage. _Go after her! Tell her what really happened!_

Part of him wanted to, god…part of him was desperate to run after her, but another part of him, the part that overpowered his need, made him stay where he was although panic was clawing away at his insides. He had a feeling that pursuing her now might be disastrous. He'd give her some time and then go looking for her. He knew where to find her and besides, he had a little anger to work off himself and the last person he wanted to take it out on was Alex. 

Turning slowly, he faced his brothers, noticing with grim satisfaction that they each looked confused and slightly scared. "Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell you to let somethin' go."

"Raph…what the hell just happened?" the oldest of the four asked, slowly coming out of his stunned daze.

"Why did you have to know Leo? Answer that first. Why couldn't you just let her forget what she was for once in her life and by happy, huh? Why did you have to know?"

"You knew." Leonardo's expression turned stony, anger simmering just below the surface. "You've known for a while now, haven't you?"

Raph squared his shoulders in a show if rebelliousness and the tinniest smirk curled hils lips. "Yeah…I did. So what?"

"Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't' you tell us?"

"Cuz it's none of your damn business, that's why."

Their voices were steadily rising, reverberating off the cavernous confines of the lair.

"She's staying with all of us Raph…in our home. If what you know could, in any way, harm us all-."

"Damn it Leo, would you just shut up? It's always the same shit with you, isn't it? If it endangers the family…what one of us does effects us all. Well, not this time! It's Alex's deal and it was her decision to trust me so just leave it alone. It's our problem, not yours."

Leo shook his head slowly. "No…that's where you're wrong. It is my problem," he stated evenly, his voice controlled.

His composure only made Raph that much angrier and he knew the rope he had around his self control was seriously fraying. "No its not! Jesus Leo…you're not the one dating her, you're not the one sleepin' with her and you sure as hell ain't the one in love with her! I am! So butt the hell out for once in your life!"

"You're _sleeping_ with her?" Mike yelped, eyes wide. 

Raph didn't bother answering him. His silence, he figured, would be answer enough. He stared at Leonardo, waiting for a reaction, waiting for the look of disapproval. But the eldest turtle surprised him when, instead of getting angry, a small smile graced his face and he said in a slightly awed voice, "you love her?"

 The mood shift was so quick and so unexpected that it sucked the blazing red anger right out of him, leaving him drained and his mind grappling for something more stable to hold on to then his panic. Anger had been all he had, the one thing that could keep him from feeling fear, but now he had nothing. "Yeah…" he murmured, shoulders drooping, "yeah Leo, I love her."

The blue masked turtle crossed the floor to his younger, hotheaded brother and pulled him into a brotherly, one armed hug. "Raph…hear me out on this before you get all angry okay? I…I understand that this is between you and Alex…I get that now. But we're all to blame."

Raph's only reply was a shuddering sigh as he leaned tiredly against his brother, for once taking his support without hesitation. Michelangelo and Donatello watched on in silence, each of them feeling more than just a little frightened by the vulnerability they saw in their usually unshakable brother. 

"This isn't just your fault," Leonardo continued, "and we'll help you fix this. Just let us okay? We're family…we need to be there for each other and…Alex is part of this family so we need to be there for her. Will you let us do that?"

The younger turtle hesitated a moment, hating the helplessness, hating the void that had started to grow in his heart and then, taking a deep breath, he nodded. 

"Good. Do you know where we can find her?"

"Yeah." Raph straightened and ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, I know where we can find her."

"Then you had best be quick my sons. I fear time is not on your side."

Again the four were caught off guard that the intrusion of a new voice. The aged rat stood several yards away, leaning heavily on his old cane and looking much older than he actually was, weariness showing in his strained features, the sag of his shoulders, the lifeless droop of his one ear.

"Sensei, what's wrong?" Donatello asked, his worry for his Master causing him to forget all about the computer before him.

Splinter lifted his tired gaze to his second oldest son and felt a sudden pang of guilt laced with sympathy. He'd give anything to spare his son from feeling such a tangle of hurtful emotions. "My son…I hope you can understand and forgive me for what I am about to tell you," he said in his soft, raspy voice.

"What are you talking about Sensei?" Raph asked, sounding more exhausted than anything.

"I fear Alex is in much more danger than we think. She came to me a while back and said Danny was troubling her, that he was somehow trying to manipulate her through use of a spell. She claimed it was nothing to be concerned about because Danny was not translating it correctly. But now…something was here last night and there is no doubt in my mind that Danny was trying to reach Alex again. I feel she is slipping and it's only a matter of time before he weakens her and she gives in."

The anger, ever so familiar to Raphael, tried to surface but only managed to flicker for a brief second before sputtering out completely. And the thing that had managed to force it into a quiet submission? A scene from last night that replayed itself adamantly over and over again. Alex stumbling to a stop in the living room, the gasp that tore from her throat, the waver in her voice as she told him that she was fine. 

He'd known she was lying, he'd known she wasn't really fine but he'd let it go. "Damn," he muttered, sinking down onto the couch. "I should have-." Should have what? Said something? Tried to make her talk? Fat chance of that happening after her suggesting that they get back to the bedroom.

"Hey Raph…no worries dude. We'll find Alex and get this mess worked out," Mike said, taking a seat beside him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "But, you know…I can't help but think that we're kinda out of our league here."

Raph had to agree with his youngest sibling. Spells, mystical powers…a Prophecy. Yeah, they were way out of their league on this one.

Alex stood unmoving, gazing out the large picture window with sorrow filled eyes that watched as the sun slowly sank into the horizon, beams of its vibrant gold light peaking out from between the buildings. The view was magnificent but it did nothing to lift Alex's spirits. Her heart ached and her face was streaked with tears she had not stopped crying since she had left the lair and came…here.

She turned away from the windows and cast a mournful gaze around the shattered remains of her once tidy apartment. Almost nothing had changed since the night she'd come here with the guys. The table was still overturned and splintered, the glass coffee table was still smashed into tiny, glistening shards, and blood still tainted the wall, though it was obvious someone had made an attempt to remove at least some of it. _Probably for testing,_ Alex thought. The one thing missing, and she thanked God for this, was the body of her landlady. There was still a large stain on the floor from her blood though.

The orange light from the sun fell upon that stain as it dipped lower and Alex moaned, quickly looking away. She shouldn't have come here, she shouldn't have even ran but she couldn't stay with them, especially since now they all knew what she was.

That thought brought on a whole new wave of agonizing sorrow and Alex moaned her despair, sinking to her knees. She buried her face in her hands as her shoulders shook almost violently from her sobs. She had trusted him to keep her secret, she thought that finally she could be free of her curse if only for a moment. She'd been a fool. A love sick, blind as a damn bat fool. And now she was paying for it dearly. She had thought Danny's betrayal was bad but it was nothing…nothing when compared to Raph's. And the worst thing about it all…was that she still loved him. Her heart refused to stop even though at the same time it was breaking.

"Stupid Raphael," she muttered for lack of anything better to say.

"Aw, come on babe. You don't mean that," a voice murmured from the growing darkness behind her.

She had to give herself credit for not turning to face him, for not crumbling when his rough, accented voice washed over her. Her heart however, had leapt into her throat form the sudden shock and then continued its cadence beneath her ribs where she could only hope he wouldn't hear it.

"Come on Alex."

He was right behind her now and when his hands came down on her shoulders she had to bite down hard on her bottom lip to keep from calling out to him.

"Don't be like this babe. Lets just get out of here, go home and talk…okay? You're not safe here."

"I'm not safe anywhere," she whispered miserably.

She knew her words had hurt him when his hands slipped away, leaving her feeling cold and alone and he said in a hollow voice, "Fine. I'll tell ya what…if you change your mind I'll be out in the hall waiting for ya. If you're not out in five minutes…I guess that's it."

He stood slowly, crossed the room and paused with his hand on the doorknob. "I never broke my promise to you Alex."

She whirled around just in time to see the door close and what she was about to say, words that were from her heart, came out as a strangled sob of denial. 

Raph closed the door behind him and prayed feverishly for a miracle. He wanted her to trust him without having to convince her of his innocence…if only he would have known it was going to hurt this damn much. Lifting a hand to rub at the spot where it hurt most, as if it would ease the pain of his broken heart, he noticed the abnormal darkness in the hallway the second before he felt the prick of a needle at his arm. Then oblivion came…quick and painless, and helpless, he fell into it.    


	13. Chapter 12

**Authors Notes**: Okay…so…here it is guys. The end. Thank you all for sticking with me and once again I have to deal with the slight bittersweet sadness that comes with ending something you poured your heart into for so long. I just hope you are all happy with the ending. And thank you all again. You're support has been wonderful. Still an Epilogue to come…short and sweet. Just a little something I feel the fic needs. Or I need…whatever!! Something I'm too tired to write at the moment.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing of TMNT…only thing I own is my characters Alex, Marissa and Marquette.

**Chapter 12**

He sat in the darkness, bleeding but silent in his pain, listening to the cryptic drone of voices as they drifted further and further away.

"What about the other one, Master?"

"Leave him. If he lives, he'll prove to be useful. No doubt he'll tell her what happened and when he does…she'll know where to find me."

Forcing away the blackness that coaxed him, he took deep, steadying breaths, wincing when he took too much in and caused the gash on is side to stretch and scream in protest.

"Damn bastards," he muttered as he began the excruciating process of standing. Once on his feet, he waited for a few moments until he knew for certain that they were gone, then pushed himself off the wall and stumbled around the corner.

The hallway was empty, as he had expected it to be. They were all long gone. For one brief moment his fear outweighed the pain and then, as fast as a bolt of jagged lightning, it was gone. No time for fear now, no time for pain. He had to get to her. She knew where they had taken his brothers.

Alex rose slowly and rubbed her sweatshirt-covered palm against her cheek. God, what had happened to her? When had she become the kind of person to jump to conclusions and usually the kind that involved a worst-case scenario?   
Since you figured out what that stupid scar makes you," she muttered bitterly.

But still…she knew Raphael better than that. And he was right, she wasn't safe her. On some level she had been right as well though. She wasn't safe anywhere. Slowly but surely, Danny was figuring out that spell and the pull was becoming stronger. She wouldn't be able to hold him off forever.

_Let them help you Alex. Let them be strong for you when you can't be strong for yourself! _

There was no hesitation in her movements as she stared for the door, her eyes adjusting to the growing darkness. She was reaching for the door just as it burst open, revealing a slouched silhouette of a man.

Fear slammed into her, its icy chill paralyzing her. God, she was dead! They'd found her. They'd come to-.

"A-Alex?"

She gasped and, paralysis forgotten, rushed forward, grabbing Michelangelo as he pitched forward with a low groan. "Oh my god…Mikey, are you okay? What happened?" She gently lowered him to the ground, resting his head in her lap after he was lying in a prone position. "You're bleeding."

"Nothin' big. I've had," he shifted and winced as pain shot up his side, "worse."

"What happened Mikey? Where are the others?" She tried to remain calm but she could feel the panic start to rise, swirling like a deadly whirlpool.

"I think they're okay. Leo…he took a few hits trying to distract 'em while I got away and as far as I know, Raph and Don were just drugged." Lifting a hand, he placed it over hers where it lay on his shoulder and looked up at her, letting the fear resurface for a moment. "Danny's got 'em Alex. He's gonna use em for bait to get you."

She paled and covered her mouth with her free hand. "Oh…no…"

Mike saw the tears collect in her eyes and, ignoring the biting pain, he sat up, pulling Alex's trembling body into his arms.

"This isn't happening," she whispered, "Its not…it can't be."

"Calm down Alex, please," Mike pleaded, holding her tightly. Her state of near panic wasn't helping him much and he knew that wasn't a good thing. "You gotta cool it babe. I can't be calm for the both of us here and I need your help."

Abruptly, she jerked back and out of his embrace. "No!" Her wide blue eyes, filled with terror, stared back at him as she shook her head from side to side. "No Mikey…please…don't ask me to do that."

He was baffled to say the least. "Don't ask? Why not? You're the one who can help them."

Again she shook her head fiercely. "I can't. It's…it's too much. I cant."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" she shouted. "I'm sure he told you everything! Why else would you be looking at that website if you didn't-."

"Alex!" Mike grabbed her arms, forcing her to be still. "Raph didn't tell us anything, okay? Even after you left he refused to tell us what he knew. The only reason we were looking at that web page is because we wanted to help you and…well, you know how Donnie is. Mr. Curiosity." He lifted a hand and gently laid it against the soft skin of her cheek, brushing away the tears with a padded thumb. "I get why you're scared babe but we're your friends. We're not Danny or any other jerk off who might have tried to pull the same shit on you that he did. We just want to help you…but I need you to help me get my brothers back so we can do that, okay?"

He waited for her to come around, watching the emotions play across her face. "Alex…do you trust us?" he asked.

Slowly, she nodded. "Yes." She looked up at him and in a stronger voice said, "Yes, I trust you. And I'm sorry that for a while I didn't. Old fears die hard."

Mike shrugged and pulled her into another brotherly embrace. "You're forgiven. Now, what do you say we go save our family?"

"Yes." Alex visibly collected herself, straightening and wiping away the damp tracks that stained her cheeks. "We should call Casey first. We might need him. And before we go anywhere we should get those cuts of yours cleaned up. I'm not going to go through all of this just to have you get sick on me later."

Taking his hand, she helped him up and led him to what was left of her kitchen. She was calm now and knew she had to remain that way. She wouldn't let Mike or any of his brothers see how scared she really was. Just like she wouldn't let them know that she had a horrible feeling that death would play a big roll in whatever happened tonight and maybe…it would come for her.

"What do ya see Mikey?" Casey whispered.

The young mutant turtle, in jeans and a dark sweatshirt partly for disguise, but mostly to keep warm, peered around the stack of crates they were hiding behind. "They've got em tied up to poles on the far left beside the warehouse. Four guards…all armed. Hm, Leo's awake, Don looks like he's coming to," he chuckled softly and shook his head, "and Raph looks bored."

Huddled beside Mike, Alex pulled her suede coat tighter around her. "He looks bored?" she asked incredulously.

"Sure. This isn't exactly a first for Raph."

"Yeah," Casey added. He was sitting across from them, knees drawn up. One arm draped over his knee and from his fingers dangled half a cigarette. "Hey, isn't this pretty much the same thing that happened the last time the Foot got a hold of him?"

Ignoring the question, Mike turned back to them, casting a look of disgust at the glowing cigarette. "I'm surprised no one's smelled that yet and figured out we're here."

"If you want me to put it out, just say so Mikey."

"Put it out Casey," Alex murmured with a coquettish smile.

It worked, and instead of a fight breaking out, Casey returned her smile with a lop sided grin of his own and dropped the cigarette, grinding it into the asphalt with the heel of his boot."

"Okay, I'm going out." Getting to her feet, her body still concealed by the crates, Alex took a thick elastic band from her coat pocket and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "You guys sit tight for a minute and then if you find a good opportunity take it. Stay out of sight until you have them free, got it?"

"Does Raph have any idea how sexy you are when you're all commanding like this?" Casey joked.

The only answer she gave him was a mysterious smirk that never made it to her eyes, then she turned and made her way around the crates. Once out of hiding the scene opened up before her, slowly, like the theater lights coming on after a movie. There were foot soldiers everywhere, some masked, others unmasked, all of them armed with some form of weapon. Danny was in the middle of the open yard, the very picture of absolute arrogance. He sat in a crudely built, high backed chair that had been places on a raised dais. His eyes were closed, his elbows rested on the chewed up arms of the chair, his fingers were steepled before him and the glare of the flood lights reflected off his hair, turning it a bright, coppery red. Beside him lay a long, unmoving lump of blankets. Shredder.

To his right, just as Mike had described them, were Don, Leo and Raph. _He really does look bored_, she thought studying the way he was leaning against the pole with his jean covered legs crossed at the ankle as she bit back an admiring smile and started forward.

The first Foot soldiers she came across snapped to attention when she appeared and she squared her shoulders, lifting her head high. She was confident in her assumption that they wouldn't make a move to harm her. No, not when Danny was determined to keep her alive for his own selfish motives.

Alex kept her gaze forward, never once faltering in her step. Her peripheral vision allowed her to see the shadowy figures still, their weapons rise slightly. The entire area reminded her of something out of the game Street Fighter. Crates were stacked around the perimeter like a wall, spectators loitered around, ready to jeer at her and a clear, sprawling area of concrete…well, that would serve as the fighting ring no doubt.

_ Most organized dump I've ever seen_, she thought dryly as she continued her slow pace. The voiced had died away almost completely now and finally the three captives realized something was up. They looked around and when they saw Alex, did a double take, shock registering clearly on their faces. Of course it didn't last long on Raph's. Once the shock resided it was replaced by a display of emotions that Alex's resolve to bravely see this through almost shattered. Love, admiration, hope, irritation, anger…she saw it all in the span of a few seconds.

_ Please honey…please don't make this harder than it already is_, she thought desperately, looking away from him before she caved in from the intense pressure of her fear. She focused on Danny instead, willing herself to be strong, willing herself to hate.

His eyes were closed still and when she felt the pull, felt the sick liquid heat wash through her like boiling swamp water, she knew why.

He was so lost in what he was doing that he never noticed the hushed whispered or the fact that the Prophecy had finally arrived. Stopping a few yards away from him (mostly due to the fact that she was terrified of getting much closer) Alex fixed a scornful smile on her face and crossed her arms over her chest. "You can stop that now Danny," she said, relieved that her voice came out steady, "I'm here."

Slowly, the red head's lids lifted and piercing, hazel eyes stared at her in a hungry way that made her skin crawl. "About time," he muttered as if he hardly cared that she had showed up at all. His eyes gave him away though, those greedy, cold eyes that studied her eagerly.

"You have something that belongs to me. I'm leaving here with them…now," she said firmly.

Danny laughed, low and empty. "That's not how this is going to work babe and you know that." He stood slowly, grinning his malicious grin as he closed the distance between them. "They go free, but only after I get what I want."

Alex lowered her head but kept her narrowed gaze on him. "I didn't come here to discuss negotiations with you. I get what I want, and that's it. You wouldn't be able to do much of anything anyway. You couldn't even translate the spell to get me here correctly." She made a sound of disgust and tossed her head. "You're pathetic Danny."

"Tough words for a scared little girl." Danny chuckled, clearly amused. "I wouldn't try my luck if I were you, Alex. There's a lot at stake here. Your life…theirs," he gestured to Raph, Leo and Don. "Try and think about what might happen if you just cooperate and do as I say. You're friend go free…everyone lives," he paused in front of her and lifted a hand, caressing her arm with a suggestive leer, "you and I can be together again."

He pulled her close, surprising her with his strength and she felt his hot breath at her ear. "I know you miss what we had…the passion. I know you want me back Alex."

"Like a fucking hole in the head," she hissed.

An ugly snarl distorted Danny's face. "You're lucky I need you alive." He made a move to grab her and suddenly everything went horribly wrong.

"Get yer fuckin' hands off her asshole!" Raph yelled. He was struggling against his bonds, fury blazing in his dark eyes.

Alex threw him a pleading look, praying that no one would notice if she could only get her point across to Raph fast enough but things never worked out all nice and neat in situations like this. No, the shit usually hit the fan…and that's exactly what it did. Danny saw the look, translated it to mean exactly what it did and grabbed a fistful of Alex's hair. "You're kidding, right? Alex…tell me you're kidding, damn it!"

It was the dangerous thing to do but Alex wouldn't deny her feeling for Raphael so she remained silent.

"You and the freak, huh?" Danny released a bark of dry laughter. "You and the fuckin'…don't tell me it's actually better with him?!"

Alex allowed a smirk to curve her lips. No point in following through with the plan now. It had pretty much been shot to hell and back. "Oh…a million times better," she murmured, her voice dripping with acidic sweetness.

He almost hit her then. She saw his hand twitch at his side, felt the one at the nape of her neck tighten and pull at her hair. But he didn't hit her. He just grinned and called out, "Marquette!"

Danny's sister materialized out of the darkness beside Raphael, wild red hair undone, a silk, thin strapped gown clinging to her curvaceous figure, a smile on her blood red lips…and a sharp, glistening dagger gripped in her hand. In that moment time seemed to alter itself and everything proceeded in agonizingly slow motion. Alex saw Marquette lift the dagger above her head, saw the evil smirk curl her lips, heard the scream of denial tear from her own throat as she watched the woman plunge the sharp tip of the weapon into Raphael's side. The only sound he made was a surprised grunt as he slouched forward, going completely lax.

Still screaming, shouting "NO!" over and over again, Alex yanked free of Danny's grip and ran to Raph, tears coursing down her cheeks. "Get the hell away from him you bitch!" She yelled at Marquette, lifting a fist and slamming it down into the other woman's cheek. The red head stumbled back, clearly startled, but Alex paid her no attention. The only person she cared about right now was her lover who's blood was slowly running down his side, staining the red sweater he wore a deeper shade of crimson.

"Raph…oh god, are you okay?" She wrapped one arm around his unwounded side and lifted the hand touching it to his side and bringing it back. Blood stained her fingers, glistening in the harsh lighting. She blanched. "Oh god…Raph?" Taking her gaze away from her hand, she looked at him. "Raph…honey?"

He opened his eyes and smiled weakly. "Hey…"

"I…I'm so sorry," she cried, laying her head against his chest. "I didn't want this to happen. Please don't die!"

Raph was desperate to hold her, to calm her. He tried to yank free once more but only caused the thick ropes binding his wrists to cut into his skin and his side to scream in protest. Biting back a pained groan, he gave up for the moment. "It's okay Alex…I'm fine," he said and pressed his lips against her brow. No one made a move to stop them, just watched on in silence as the two shared what they all thought was their last moment together. Raph knew that the enemy fully expected Alex to give in without a fight now, but he wouldn't let that happen. He couldn't. "Alex," he murmured softly.

She lifted her head and stared at him with tear filled blue eyes.

"Reach in my pocket hun."

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion and the hand stained with his sticky blood, slipped down his side and disappearing in the pocket of his sweater. The moment her hands curled around the cool metal of his _sais_ her eyes went wide.

"Not exactly dealing with the smartest people here, are we?" Raph asked, grinning.

Alex smiled sadly and shook her head. So this was it. This was when they started living every moment as if it were their last…even if it really was. It was time to stare death right in the face. She pressed her lips against his in a soft, lingering kiss. "I love you Raphael."

"Love you too babe," he whispered, "Now go kick some ass."

Closing her hands tightly around the _sais_, Alex pulled them free, drew a deep breath and whipped around to face her enemy, eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Marquette slink away, back into the darkness. Not waiting for a reaction from anyone else, Alex attacked the first person she saw. A roundhouse kick had him on the ground and she quickly delivered a swift blow to the back of his skull, rendering him unconscious. She straightened and was right away confronted with another.

Trying to keep her head clear, to fight the way she had been taught, she took this one on as well. He brandished one katana and swung it in a downward angle at her. She blocked, remembered that blocking was the one thing she wasn't supposed to do and dropped down, kicking the man's feet out from underneath him. She came around with her other foot and slammed it directly into his face. After that they kept coming, one at a time, each willing to take their turn fighting the Prophecy. But she was getting tired and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold her own much longer.

"Come on Alex!" Raph yelled, watching the fight progress as he twisted his hands, trying to free himself. He saw her stagger once and knew right away that she was going to start loosing. She needed help. "Damn it…" he muttered, yanking hard and feeling the sting of the rope as it rubbed against his raw flesh.

"Dude…if you'd just hold still for a minute I'd be able to get you out of this," a voice whispered behind him.

"Mikey?"

"In the shell bro. Hang on a sec."

The ropes were pulled tight but then fell away completely and Raph jerked his arms forward, rubbing the raw skin of his wrists with a grimace. Adrenaline rushing, he ran to Alex just as two Foot ninjas started to gang up on her, one from the front and the other slipping up unnoticed behind her. He leapt into the air and kicked forward, kicking his foot into the man's face with enough force to send him flying. As Raph bent to pick up the Foot ninja's discarded katana, Alex disarmed her own opponent and drove the palm of her hand into his nose. A sickening crack was heard and the man toppled backward, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

"Yeeouch, that sounded painful," Raph commented wryly, eyeing the group that was slowly closing in on them.

Alex grabbed the _sai_ she'd dropped earlier and backed up until her back was pressed against Raph's. She immediately a wave of relief wash over her, stifling the fear, leveling her shaken nerves. "Hopefully it was enough to keep him down for a while. So, want to trade weapons?"

"You bet, babe."

Tossing his _sais_ high into the area, she reached back and took the _katana_ he handed her, sweeping them quickly forward and blocking the attack of the Foot soldier who had decided he was next in line to fight her. She heard a muffled cry of pain behind her and smiled but didn't look back. She knew, without a doubt, that Raphael was quickly and efficiently reducing the number of rivals.

"Man Raph…can't you ever wait for the rest of us before you start bustin' heads?" Mikey joked as he, Don, Leo and Casey eagerly joined in the fray.

"Raph…exercise patience?" Don muttered, blocking an attack with his _bo_ staff and grinning. "When has that ever happened?"

"Hey! I was patient with Alex, wasn't I?" Raph said in his defense.

Leo spared his red masked brother an exasperated look as he fought of the Foot ninja that was trying to slice into him. "I think it's the other way around Raph. She was patient with you."

"Thank you Leo!" Alex called out over the clang of weapons and the shouts of angered Foot soldiers.

The clever banter, although highly effective when it came to really pissing off one's enemy, quickly died away as the six put forth every ounce of their effort to defeating their enemy. After what seemed like an hour, but had probably been closer to fifteen minutes, Alex started to tire. She was struggling to flight off Foot soldiers as they took turns sparring with her. Despite the cold, perspiration dotted her forehead and upper lip, trickled down between her shoulder blades and her breathing labored, no matter how hard she tried to control it. She stumbled once, falling back and Raph was there, catching her with one arm.

"You're doin' great hun," he reassured her, "Just hang in there a little longer."

And then he was gone and she was on her own again, very much doubting her own abilities. She knew her limits and knew that right now she was seriously pushing them. _Just gotta hang in there_, she silently repeated Raphael's words as two more soldiers came forward. Holding her weapons in front of her in a protective pose, she gritted her teeth and prepared for the worst…but it never came. The soldiers advancing on her suddenly stopped, lowered their weapons and backed away.

Confused, Alex straightened slightly, not letting her guard down. She risked a glance behind her and what she saw only added to her bafflement. The guys were still fighting hard, unaware that all activity around her had stopped all together. It was as if someone had placed a massive wall of glass between them. On one side was eerie silence, on the other…chaos.

"What the-." Alex's voice cut off, replaced by a sharp gasp that caught in her throat. _NO!_ Her mind pleaded frantically as her control started slipping like satin ribbons through her fingers. _NO! God…please no!_

Pain seized her, shot through her with blinding, searing heat and Alex screamed, falling to her knees. Voices intruded her mind, evil whispers that echoed from the darkness. She covered her ears as if that simple act would be enough to shut them out, but they would not be silenced.

"Now who's pathetic," a harsh voice murmured from somewhere in front of her.

She lifted her head, her movements jerky. Danny stood before her, his arms crossed, that wicked smile curling his lips. _Like the Grinch himself_, she thought. "Why?" she choked, "why are you doing this? I can't…"

"You can and you will," he said harshly, cutting her off. "Now stand up." She didn't. He placed a steel-toed booted foot under her chin and started to pull up. "I said stand!"

She moved as if her movements weren't her own, as if she was fighting against a force that was trying to control her. Hesitantly, ungracefully she rose and stood before him, knowing deep hatred and fear like she'd never known before, not even that time when her nine year old eyes had stared upon the bodies of the men she had killed.

"Raph…dude, something's not right."

Across the "battle field" Mikey spared a quick glance at Alex before taking on the next Foot solider. Her stance was rigid and the way that Danny kid was looking at her…all triumphantly. Something was definitely wrong. He blocked the blade of a deadly _pudao_ with a practiced flick of the wrist that sent his _nunchuk _into a blur of circular motion. He delivered a blow to the man's midsection with the end of his other _nunchuk_ and watched him fall over, curling into a fetal position. "Raph…again, something is not right!" he yelled to his brother who was busy with his own black clad problems.

Hearing Mike's yell, Raph quickly disposed of his own attacker and looked in Alex's direction. She'd stopped fighting. When had that happened? Then he noticed it, the way she was trembling, the smile on Danny's face. "Shit…" he whispered.

Enemies were quickly forgotten as his mind stopped thinking about anything but the woman he'd knew he couldn't live without. And therein lay his mistake. The second lapse was all that was needed for a Foot soldier to deliver a blow to his injured side and send him to his knees, crying out in surprise and pain. And then there was a swarm of them, moving in on the turtles and Casey in an unstoppable mass. They grabbed, they disarmed, they held them fast as they cursed and tried to fight their way free.

Only Raphael did not fight. He stared at Alex as sickening feeling of fear slowly filled him. _He couldn't get the spell right_, he reminded himself firmly, needing some form of reassurance, _He couldn't even get that damn spell right! He can't do a thing. Not a fucking thing!_

Alex was reminding herself of that same fact at the moment, trying to remain calm and keep a steady face. She refused to let Danny know how scared she was. "I wont do anything for you. You have no power over me. I obey no one," she vowed fiercely, forcing bravado into her voice.

Danny smiled. He approached her slowly, sadistic eyes ever watchful. When his hands shot forward, grabbing the hem of her shirt and ripping a long, jagged tear in the fabric she flinched regardless of her best intentions not to and his grin widened. "Seeing you scared like this," he murmured, pealing away the fabric to reveal the dark, puckered scar, "its such a turn on Alex."

Revulsion rose within her, great, overwhelming waves of it. Still, she refused to give him the satisfaction of giving in and remained unmoving. _He cant hurt you…he cant do anything._

But she was wrong. Leaning close to her, so close that she could smell the hot cinnamon stench of his breath, he looked straight into her eyes and whispered in the ancient language she had heard only once so many years ago, "_Rise Prophecy, grant thy demands."_

Her blue eyes went wide and she could no longer hide the terror that had welled up within her, washing out everything else until it was all she could feel. "Danny," she whispered, her eyes starting to burn as tears welled and spilled over, "you don't know what you're asking for. Please…don't do this."

"See Alex, that's where you're wrong. I know exactly what I'm doing. And I want do to this."

She shook her head frantically. "You don't want this Danny. And even if you do…what if," she looked around her, desperate to find some reason for him to stop this now, "what if these people, your followers don't want it. Don't do this to them! Please Danny…I'm begging you!" Her voice was a hoarse plea, plaintive in the sudden silence of the wide yard.

Danny took a step back and gazed at the familiar faces that surrounded him. His soldiers, his followers as she had called them, stood watching. All were still, waiting the moment when finally their master would arise and lead them once more. He grinned crookedly. "Foot Ninja…she doubts your loyalty! How many of you would be honored to have Master Shredder walk amongst us once more?!"

Voiced raised, shouting their affirmative. The sound bounced off the concrete walls, the stacked crates. It was deafening…it was deadly. Danny turned to look at Alex again. The horrified expression on her face accompanied by the endless flow of tears caused a sharp stab of pleasure within him. "I think you have your answer," he murmured.

She shook her head, blond hair flowing around her shoulders, wide eyes scanning the faces of the cheering men. "Please don't do this Danny," she whimpered pitifully.

"_I SAID OBEY ME_!" he yelled in that ancient language that scared her so, anger distorting his face. Then came the words, those hideous words that she had dreaded all her life with such force.

"Alex!"

She turned at the sound of Raphael's voice, feeling time slip through her fingers along with the last amount of self-control she possessed. He was being held by four men as were his brother's and Casey. His dark eyes pleaded with her. "Don't do it babe."

"_OBEY ME!!_"

Her throat closed up, seizing painfully. She felt weightless as the thing lurking within her started to take over, started to possess her unwilling body. It was a sickening feeling, one that filled her with dread. She gave one last, longing look at the mutant she had come to love so deeply and whispered weakly, "I have no choice…"

Her head dropped then, sagging forward as her shoulders drooped and the life seemed to flow out of her. Clouds of dark, angry gray loomed low overhead, a bloody red color tinting their edges. Then came the silence, deafening and heavy. And then…then came the Prophecy.

She started as a faint, pale blue glow that radiated like a visible aura around Alex's body and flickered to life, a blue fire with flames that licked at the skin of the woman who carried her. Wind whipped through the open yard, whipping Alex's hair into a wild blond frenzy and her head snapped up, eyes opening to reveal nothing but glowing orbs of pale blue. "Fools," she whispered in a voice that was not her own. Throaty, seductive, the voice of a woman born centuries ago.

"That's not Alex," Mike whispered. He was afraid to move and not because of the four men holding him. No, it was that woman in the middle of the yard, glowing like some ethereal life form. She terrified him.

"No Mike," Raph murmured sadly, "That's not Alex." The young warrior watched as his girlfriend was overtaken by something she could not control and felt worse than he ever had before. There was nothing he could do for her now.

The Prophecy scanned the area with eyes that held no emotion and a smirk that was nowhere near pleasant. A slow laugh escaped her. "A Prophecy you call me…given life to grant your wishes." She shook here head and made a gentle tsk tsk noise with her tongue. The smile then vanished from her face, replaced by an ugly sneer. "I am no Prophecy. I do not grant the voracious wishes of pitiable men such as you! I am God! I posses powers you could not possibly fathom…and I would inform you that you would do well to remember that in the future…but you will have no time to do such a thing. My powers were called upon…and I shall use them as I was obeyed to."

Her teeth flashed white, a grin that's evil surpassed even Danny's and she raised her hands to the sky. A crackling, static like sound filled the air and a small sphere of bright blue light glowed to life between the Prophecy's hands. Splayed fingers twisted and the sphere spun, growing as it rotated on an unseen axis. When it grew to the size of a basketball it split into fragments and the tiny blue spheres started to spin around the Prophecy, going faster and faster, twisting her hair, pulling at her long coat. Suddenly, the Prophecy dropped her arms and the spheres flew in every direction. Each one of them found its place before Danny and the mass of Foot Soldiers then hovered for several moments, almost as if they were scrutinizing them, looking over their unsuspecting prey and then, flaring brightly, they disappeared into their victims, entering through their chests.

There was a moment of silence, of baffled curiosity that gave way seconds later to screams of terror. They filled the enclosed yard, resounded off the walls, filling that small part of the world with momentary insanity.

The turtles and Casey, released by the men that held them, covered their ears to block out the horrifying sound. The screams raised in pitched then one by one died off, turning into guttural choking noises. Bodies collapsed to the cold ground, lifeless eyes stared at the dark, ominous skies…and then there was nothing.

As the wind died away, so did the aura surrounding the Prophecy. Her lids closed, her shoulders relaxed and when her eyes reopened she was Alex once again.

Reality was a cold heartless bitch sometimes, and this was definitely one of those times. No words, no emotions could possibly describe what Alex felt as she stared around her in wide eyed terror. The bodies, there were so many of them. They littered the ground, sprawled lifeless corpses, some layered over one another.

Bile rose in Alex's throat and she pressed a fist to her mouth. It was with a low, mournful wail that she sank to the ground. Nausea rose within her, mingling with the sorrow and fear to create a horrible emotion that no human could possibly ever want to feel. And yet she felt it, felt it with her heart, felt it with her soul. It numbed her, made speech impossible, made her feel like she had died along with the many she had unwillingly killed. Hugging herself, Alex leaned forward and let the horrible, gut wrenching sobs claim her.

Several yards away, five pairs of eyes watched her, sorrow etched in their depths.

"Someone should…should do something," Leonardo murmured, finding it hard to speak past the lump in his throat.

Although it was the hardest thing to do at the moment, given his wound and the horrible twisting of his heart, Raphael stood and walked over to Alex. He laid a hand on her trembling shoulder, pulling from her a harsh sob that tore at his heart. No words came to him, nothing could possibly be said at a moment like this. They didn't even cover this kind of thing in movies! So he did all he could, he knelt down beside her and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she wept.

His brothers joined them, standing around them in a half circle, as uncertain of what to do as Raphael had been. They hadn't been prepared for this and none of them could imagine what the poor girl was feeling at the moment. They could only stare at her in silence, wishing for something that could never be.

Long moments past in which they all lost track of time and finally Mike risked a glance up, something he had been avoiding doing. His eyes scanned the bodies and he felt sick, truly sick. Tears started to collect in his eyes. True, he had hated the Foot just about as much as the next Ninja turtle…but he would have never wished this kind of death on them. He moved his gaze to the right, no longer afraid of what he would see, and stopped, his eyes going wide. He blinked once, twice and then stared in complete amazement. Standing before him, draped in pure white robes and surrounded by an aura of brilliant gold was what he could only assume was an angel. She stared at them with kind, loving eyes that were as blue as a cloudless summer sky. Long, dark blond hair hung in waves around her bare shoulders.

"Ah…guys?" Mike whispered softly, afraid he might scare it away. "Guys."

Leonardo lifted his head tiredly. "What Mi…" his voice drifted into nothingness as he saw what his younger brother was staring at.

One by one the others looked up and they too were stunned into speechlessness by the delicate being that stood before them. Alex was the last to lift her head, her tearful gaze connecting with the angels. "Mo…mother?" she whispered in disbelief.

The angel moved forward, her long satin robes swishing around her feet. She stopped in front of Alex and turned her head slightly to the side. "Hello darling."

With a tiny cry, the young woman flung herself into the awaiting arms of Marissa Tulsan. She clung tenaciously, crying anew. "Oh my sweet child," Marissa cooed, stroking Alex's soft hair, "there, there. It's okay."

Sniffling, Alex looked up at the woman she had never known. "I…I don't understand," she whispered. "Why are you here?"

Marissa brushed the back of her fingers over her daughter's cheek, drying her tears, then did the same to the other side. When she was finished, she cradled the side of Alex's face in her hand and smiled. "I'm here to end a curse," the murmured, her voice soft and inviting. It was the kind of voice Alex had always dreamed she would have.

"What happened here tonight…this is not what the Prophecy was created for. You and I were saddled with quite a responsibility. Of course, it was never this bad before. But now…" she sighed and looked around, shaking her head sadly, "Things have been discussed. The burden I've placed upon you…oh, Alexandria, you were never supposed to have to go through such horrible pain." She pulled her daughter into her arms, diamond like tears glistening in her deep blue eyes. "This wasn't meant for you. So I'm here to end it…once and for all."

With those words she moved away from Alex and pressed a cool hand to the young woman's stomach, placing it over the scar as the other still cradled her face. "This curse is no longer yours to carry."

Marissa's aura carried over to her daughter, enveloping her in brightness, connecting her to her mother in a spiritual way that was beyond touch and feel. Alex closed her eyes. She reveled in the feeling. Warmth spread through her, soothing, healing…a balm to so many wounds that had been reopened tonight. And when the warm glow disappeared the feeling stayed with her. It was as if her mother had just given her something of herself that she could keep forever. She opened her eyes and stared up at Marissa. "What did you do?" she asked in an awed voice.

"See for yourself darling."

Looking down, Alex gasped. The scar was gone! She turned her questioning gaze on her mother, her mouth slightly open in shock.

"You are no longer the so called Prophecy. Its existence ended as of tonight."

Alex couldn't give voice to how grateful she was or how relieved she felt so she returned to her mothers embrace and hugged her tightly as tears ran down her cheeks.

As she returned the embrace, Marissa looked up at the man and four mutants that were watching them avidly, mouths agape. "So you are the ones who have been watching over my daughter?" she asked, smiling when they nodded mutely. "Then I can trust that you will continue to do so?"

"Yes ma'am," Michelangelo answered, abandoning his shocked expression for a wide grin.

Marissa chuckled softly. She pulled away from Alex, smoothed her hands over the younger woman's cheeks and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you my daughter…and I'm so very proud of you."

"You're…you're not leaving are you?" Alex asked, sounding more like a scared child than a full-grown woman.

"Yes, I'm afraid I have to. But, I'll always be watching over you Alexandria…now," Marissa leaned over and kissed her again, this time on the cheek. "why don't you get over there and tell that one in the red how much you love him. I think he'd deserved it after tonight, don't you?"

Alex smiled. "Yeah…he does." She hugged her mother once more, impulsively and then let her go, whispering a quick "I love you" and watching as she shimmered out of existence. It was a bittersweet moment, meeting her mother for the first time and seeing what a beautiful angel she was. It would stay with her for the rest of her life, making the trauma she'd suffered tonight bearable, giving her soul a sense of peace it had never had before.

With a shaky sigh, Alex turned to face her friends and before she even realized that she'd moved, she was in Raphael's arms, hugging him tightly but making sure to avoid the wound Marquette had left him with. "I'm so sorry," she whispered hoarsely, "I should have heard you out instead of being such a coward. I was scared…and I'm sorry."

Raph smiled and hugged her just as tightly. "Hey, its okay babe, nothing to be sorry about."

She looked up at him, her sapphire eyes glossy with unshed tears. "Thank you." Pulling back a ways, she looked at the others. "Thank all of you for your understanding…your support, and for being my friends."

"Not friends Alex," Leonardo said, walking over to her and Raph and laying a hand on her shoulder. "Family."

Alex gave him a watery, tremulous smile and, untangling one arm from around Raph she wrapped it around Leo's neck, hugging both brothers. The group hug quickly grew as Donatello, Michelangelo and even Casey joined in, all of them chuckling softly when Raph grumbled, "watch the side ya big cry babies."

Leo finally backed away and patted Raph's shoulder with brotherly affection. "We should probably get you taken care of."

"Put him in the back of my van and I'll get you guys home," Casey offered and with those words the group hug ended and they all started trudging wearily to where Casey had parked, more than happy to get out of the enclosed yard.

It was as they were approaching a wide opening in the garage near the crates that Alex, Mike and Casey had hid behind that Alex's brows drew together in a frown and she slowed to a stop. "Uh…you guys go ahead. I'll be right there," she said, back stepping, "there's something I have to do."

She turned on her heel and walked back to the open yard. Even after having stared at them for several minutes, the sight of the bodies littering the cold ground was still a shock, one that twisted her heart. She walked on, swallowing thickly and keeping her gaze straight ahead.

Danny's body was directly in front of her, sprawled across the concrete, both arms above reaching above his head. Several feet from him lay the covered body of the Master he'd intended to resurrect and beside it, her elegant fingers clutching the canvas like material, was Marquette.

Alex sank to her knees in front of the man she thought she had once loved. There was no mournful sobs this time, no anguished weeping, Alex merely sat and cried silent tears of remorse for their deaths. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, "please forgive me."

She reached out a hand to brush his unruly red hair away from his closed eyes and as her fingers brushed his face his body began to glow. Fragments like shimmering bits of glitter, surrounded him. Alex jerked her hand back, covering her gaping mouth with it as the same thing started happening to the other bodies. Soon, the entire yard was bathed in a brilliant gold light.

"Do not worry for them Alexandria," the warm voice of her mother filled the night and one by one the bodies started to flicker, fade and disappear. "They will be taken care of."

The unnatural phenomenon left Alex speechless, unable to do much more but watch until the last body vanished and she was alone. Pushing herself up on legs that scarcely supported her she stared all around her with wide sapphire eyes. They were gone, every single one of them…even the body that had belonged to the Shredder.

"Thanks mom," she murmured, lifting her gaze to the heavens with a small smile. Then she turned, stuck her hands in the deep pockets of her coat and walked back to the van, leaving this place behind her but not its memories. Like it or not, the memories of this night would always remain with her.

Back at the van, Casey had started the old white and rusted vehicle to get it warmed up and he and Leo had taken up the front seats, lost in their thoughts. The back doors were open wide and Don stood outside, doing what he could for Raph until they got back home as the red masked turtle sat on the floor of the van, leaning against the side with his eyes closed. Mike was across from him, his own eyes on the floor. They all looked up when she approached and looked so comically relieved that she couldn't help laughing.

"You guys worried that I was going to get attacked or something?" she asked archly, climbing into the back of the van. Raph snagged her arm and she gladly fell between his legs and into his waiting arms.

Mike and Don rolled their eyes and closing the back doors, Don went around to the side and let himself in, taking one of the two seats in the middle.

"So…not to sound gross or anything," Mike said, moving into the other seat, "but what are we going to do about all those bodies?"

"Taken care of," Alex replied, yawning as she snuggled against Raph. "Angel's can do powerful things Mikey."

He made a small humming sound in ways of a response and silence fell, interrupted only by the dim grinding of gears as Casey shifted the van into drive and pulled onto the street.

After a few minutes of driving, the radio playing Meatloaf dimly over the speakers, Alex felt Raph's hand squeeze her arm lightly and looked up. "Hey," she whispered, happy to see a tired smile on his face. "Does it hurt much?"

He shook his head. Mr. Tough guy. "Nah, stings a little. How about you…you okay?"

"I guess." She shrugged her shoulders and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "This is probably going to take a while to get over. I've never…" her voice died away as tears threatened once more and she bit back a frustrated growl.

"I'll help. We'll get you through this babe." He released her arm and his hand brushed the side of her face, moving around to curl around her neck. "Crazy night…I don't know about half the shit I saw…or what even happened really…but I do know one thing."

"What's that?"

He looked down at her with those intense eyes that never failed to melt her and the arm still holding her tightened. "I love you so damn much Alex."

This time the tears did come. Happy tears that didn't hurt to cry. "Oh Raph," she whispered past the lump of emotion in her throat, "I love you too honey."

She wrapped an arm around his neck and pressed her lips against his. It was a kiss unlike any they had shared, full of love, life and deep liberation. Finally the real nightmare was over. The Prophecy was gone, Alex could start living out of the dark curtain of fear that had haunted her for so long and she and Raphael could have the life together that they knew they deserved.


	14. Epilogue

**Authors Notes:** What would a fic from me be without a happy sappy ending?? Easy...not my style. So here you have it folks! A celebration of independence day because I'm not going to be home to celebrate it. I'll be in California and I have no clue what they do for the 4th there. All I know is its going to be a great week long vacation for me! So I hope you all enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it and having you all read it!  
  
**Disclaimer**: Standard disclaimer applies...I own nothing of TMNT except my own original characters. The small bit of song used is not mine either. It belongs to Hoobastank and the song is called "The Reason." It's a really great song. I totally fell in love with it.  
  
**_Epilogue  
_**  
He stood in the open doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the doorjamb and watching Alex as she peeled apples at the sink. Standing there dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a green, blue and white stripped tank top with the warm breeze coming in the window and teasing her hair that hung loose around her shoulders, she hummed a nameless tune so softly he could hardly hear it. Raphael thought she looked like the most peaceful being on the earth at the moment.  
It was early July, the fourth to be exact. So many months had passed since that night. The nightmares-they'd all had the nightmares. Even he had suffered through a few terrifying ones, had woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Alex sleeping peacefully beside him. He would always hold her a little tighter after nightmares like that.  
Through the winter, a Christmas spent with hectic days and lazy nights in front of the massive fireplace Donny had managed to construct, through the birth of spring they had all fought with the inner demons that stayed with them after the night the Prophecy had been destroyed. As promised, Raph fought it out with Alex and they both lent their help to his other brothers. And together...they managed to put it behind them. The nightmares slowly stopped, life returned to normal. Well, as normal as it could possibly be. There were changes of course. New Years eve Raph had sucked up every ounce of courage he had and had asked Alex to be his wife. She'd gladly and quite tearfully agreed and teased him for doubting her answer. With a little help from Casey and April they'd managed to throw together a small ceremony and had become...well, turtle and wife if you wanted to get technical about it.  
When summer had come they had all agreed that it would be best spent on the farm away from the city and with April's consent they'd packed up everything they would need for the summer and drove out to the farm.  
Pushing off the doorjamb, Raph crossed the kitchen to his wife.  
"Breakfast is on the table," she said, sensing him before she actually aw him and waving carelessly at the spread on the table. Waffles, bacon, fresh cut fruit, a plate of perfectly folded omelets...he ignored it all and went to Alex, standing behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Mmm...breakfast," he murmured, nuzzling the gentle curve of her neck.  
She stopped what she was doing and leaned back against him with a lazy smile. "No...I was desert, remember?"  
"Oh yeah." He started kissing a trail up her neck to her ear. "Can't you be both?"  
Gasping softly, she dropped the vegetable peeler in the sink where it landed soundlessly against the pile of apple skins and let her head fall back against his shoulder. Suddenly, a high-pitched whistle disturbed the silence, followed by a loud crack right outside the kitchen window above the sink. Alex's head jerked up and she stared out the window for a moment before calling out in a lightly scolding voice, "Mikey...away from the house."  
"Sorry babe!" came the distant reply.  
Raph chuckled and released her, moving over to the kitchen table and grabbing a piece of bacon. "So, what are you workin' on now?"  
"Apple pie." She was back to peeling and humming again.  
"This cookin' thing gonna stop any time soon?"  
Alex threw him an amused look over her shoulder. "You're actually complaining?"  
"Nope."  
"Good. It was either this or cleaning and I highly doubt any of you want to go through that insanity again. Besides, you're the one to blame for this buddy."  
"Sure, it's always the husband's fault," he grumbled with a smirk. Abandoning the breakfast foods, he went back to Alex, spun her around, took the vegetable peeler and the half peeled apple from her hand and kissed her soundly. She made a tiny noise of surprise and melted against him, winding her arms around his neck as she returned the kiss.  
She loved that it was always like this between them. They could never seem to keep their hands off each other and she had no problem at all with that. Even after they had married she had figured things would calm down a little but she had been dead wrong to make that assumption. As it turned out marriage seemed to be the perfect reason for Raph to satisfy his curiosity and try things they'd never thought to try before. Again, something that was just fine by her. It made life interesting and oh, so much fun.  
Another loud report sounded from outside, this time followed by laughter and more noisy snaps and Raph pulled back. "Sounds like they're having fun."  
"Wanna get em wet?" Alex asked, tapping a large pail on the floor beside her that he hadn't noticed with the toe of her white canvas shoe.  
"What's that?" Leaning over, he looked down into the pail and laughed when he saw several multi colored water balloons submerged in water and floating amidst ice cubes. "Man, you're kinda evil hun."  
"And you love it. Come on, grab the bucket."  
They walked out onto the porch and thick as thieves, scanned the yard for their prey. They stood under one of the many oaks that took up the sprawling front yard and provided shade from the intense heat. From the looks of it they were planning to light off another string of firecrackers. Leo and Mike were digging through paper bags as Don waited patiently, tapping a grill lighter against his open palm.  
Alex glanced at the circular temperature gauge nailed to one of the porch support posts. Eighty seven degrees in the shade. "You know...we're probably just doing them a favor."  
"Yeah...but its still fun."  
Reaching into the pail, Alex pulled out a large, ice-cold water balloon and rolled it between her hands. "I can get Mikey, but you'll have to take care of Donny and Leo."  
"Not a problem." Raph set he pail down and pulled out two water balloons for himself. Then, exchanging a mischievous look with Alex, they pulled their arms back and took aim.  
"Incoming!!" Raph yelled as the balloons flew through the air and hit their targets dead on.  
"HEY! What the-."  
"RAPH!"  
The two on the porch laughed and grabbed more balloons, hurling them at Leo, Don and Mikey without even caring if they hit them or not.  
"Leo! Hose!" Mike yelled, ducking behind a tree.  
The blue masked turtle ran for the hose, which lay rolled up beside the house. Alex saw what he was attempting to do and winged a water balloon at him, running for the hose as she did so. What took place after that was nothing short of a massive water war. Leo and Alex fought over the hose, both laughing and getting soaked in the process. Someone had managed to find a bunch of super soakers that were all filled with freezing water and used on the nearest victim. When Casey and April showed up they were given no mercy and were more or less forced to join in on the fun. Luckily, Master Splinter had opted to stay in. A very good idea, because to those involved in the fight, it didn't matter who they were soaking, as long as they were getting them good.  
Around five they all agreed to call it quits and did their best to dry off before sitting down for a massive picnic in honor of the holiday. After that they sat around and talked until the sun started to sink in the horizon and then they hiked to the small pond behind the house where Don had set up an impressive display of pyrotechnics. Proud of his work, he was excited to show it to everyone and left them to get situated as he went to make sure every remote was set.  
Off in the distance some neighbors had already started their festivities and bright lights would occasionally light the dusky sky, followed by a distant boom and faint cheers and clapping. Choosing a spot beneath a tree that was slightly secluded from the others, Raph leaned back against the massive trunk and Alex leaned back against him. They'd brought a checkered blanket with, more for protection from the mosquitoes than the actual chill of the coming night and were wrapped up in it.  
"You know," Alex said softly as they waited for Donny to finish whatever preparations he had to make, "you've changed a lot Mr. Hothead."  
Raph smiled and tightened his arms around her. "Yeah? What makes you say that?"  
"You just have. You've mellowed. Its not a huge change...but we all see it. You've conquered whatever demons were within you. That rage you couldn't control...its not there any more. You've changed."  
"You and me both babe."  
She tilted her head back and looked up at him. "I've changed?"  
"Well sure. You used to be jumpy and scared all the time. You're more confident now. You kinda take things on without doubting yourself. It's a small change," he said, taking her line, "but we all see it, and we're proud of you."  
They fell silent and Alex started humming. It was a song he knew well, one that had really suckered him in and she knew it. She loved to sing it to him and she did so right then, just a little insert from the song...the part that meant something to both of them in ways they couldn't explain. In a voice that was as gentle as the wind, soft enough only for him to hear, she sang.  
  
_I just want you to know  
I found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
And the reason is you  
_  
Raph smiled, moving his hand down her arm, over her ribs and then laid it on her stomach, which had just started to firm over the past month. The first burst of light filled the sky over their heads, all blues and silvers, sizzling and crackling in the silence.  
"Do you think she'll like it hear?" he asked softly, rubbing Alex's stomach in slow circles.  
Alex placed her hand over his and nodded. "She'll love it here honey. She'll love it any where we are, be it here or back at the lair...as long as we're all together as a family."  
She tilted her head back and reached up, placing her hand on the side of his face and pulling him down for a quick kiss. "You, who is never afraid of anything is nervous about being a daddy. That's so cute Raph."  
He rolled his eyes and grumbled, biting back a smile. Together they turned their gazes to the sky and watched the brilliant burst of color fill the sky. Every now and then Mikey would exaggerate on his awed exclamations and they would all laugh, other times they would all cheer at a particularly massive explosion of glittering colors and they all at one time thought about how wonderful it was to be together and alive. Yes, life was good.  
  
THE END!!! 


End file.
